Dark Eyes
by celtic7irish
Summary: A demon has possessed Abarai Renji. His target? Ichigo Kurosaki. Very dark fic to start. Renji x Ichigo. Torture, rape, angst, etc. early on. Consider yourself warned. CHAPTER 18 POSTED! Lemon warning...
1. Chapter 1

Stepping out of the portal, the demon looked around, smiling cruelly. It had been surprisingly difficult to tame this particular shinigami, but demons were not Seireitei's normal enemies, and thus, the shinigami had not known how to fight him off. The takeover had been swift and brutal, the demon rifling through the shinigami's thoughts and memories, hunting for anything of interest. The female was no fun, weak and soft as she was. The man's captain was of some minor interest…perhaps one day he'd challenge the other man and see which of them won. After all, the demon hardly cared if he lost this host body. Surely he could find another.

People and battles had been sorted through quickly, none of them really catching the demon's eye, until he had seen the boy with the bright orange hair and the angry brown eyes. Now _here _was an interesting specimen. A human who had stolen a shinigami's powers as a temporary solution, and never lost them. A part-time substitute shinigami who was also part Hollow, and had so much more spiritual power than even he realized he had. Rarely had the demon ever seen anybody who only got stronger and more powerful with every fight. The teenager, thin and lanky, could easily prove a challenge even for the shinigami division captains, and for the Arrancar as well.

And here he was, in the human world, in a small town called Karakura, hunting for this boy's rather unique spiritual signature. No doubt the boy's soul would be positively delicious, but that's not what the demon was here for. He would much, much prefer to have the boy's pain over his soul. He was relatively certain that the boy would not break easily, and it would be fun to play with him until he did. And when the boy was broken and useless, the demon would devour his soul and hunt out his next prey.

Tilting his head slightly, the demon sifted through the myriad of souls held in this town, noting with glee that there was a lot of spiritual energy around, which would provide for an excellent feeding ground for a demon. But the brightest thread by far struck him with a soundless alarm, and the demon grinned wickedly. He had found his prey!

Loping easily down the hill in his strong new body, the demon ignored the hollering in his head, ordering him to leave Ichigo and h is hometown alone. Like there was a chance of that happening! Following the spiritual thread on silent feet, the demon noticed that the distance was being covered remarkably fast, and then realized that Ichigo was no doubt heading directly towards him, probably wondering what this particular shinigami was doing in his town.

Chuckling, the demon's eyes gleamed as he closed in on his prey. When he was close enough, the demon slowed down and waited patiently. A few seconds later, the boy that the demon had seen in the shinigami's head turned the corner of the playground, and sauntered up to him, not looking particularly alarmed as he raised a hand in greeting.

"Yo, Renji! What's up? More Hollow?" he queried, not looking particularly concerned. Adjusting his stance to be more casual, the demon shook his head, letting Renji's familiar smirk slide across his face.

"Nah," he drawled, enjoying the way that his tone purred from the slender throat that he now possessed. "I just wanted a small vacation from Seireitei . It's no fun there if there's nobody to fight." And it was true, for both shinigami and demon; without an opponent, things were rather boring in the shinigami's homeworld.

He noticed Ichigo staring at him through narrow eyes. "What is it, Kurosaki?" he demanded, his tone brash. "You got a problem with that?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No, not really," he responded honestly. "But I'm surprised that Rukia isn't with you," he admitted. The demon did his best to conceal the shudder that the thought of _that girl_, but he must not have succeeded entirely, because Ichigo was staring at him oddly. The demon just stared back calmly, waiting to see if the other boy would realize what was wrong.

Shrugging, Ichigo turned around with a, "Whatever," muttered under his breath. "You coming to my place, then?" he asked sourly, and the demon remembered that it was a regular occurrence for shinigami to use the Kurosaki residence for any meetings or get-togethers that happened in the real world, when they weren't gathering information in Kisuke Urahara's shop.

"Of course," the demon drawled, moving after Ichigo. That had actually been very easy, he thought, amused. Ichigo was very loyal to his friends, and would never actually believe that one of them could betray him of their own free will. Well, from what the demon had seen in Abarai Renji's head, all of Ichigo's friends shared that same loyalty. Which meant that the demon would have to force Ichigo to keep the others at bay, or risk the demon slaughtering them all.

Grinning manically at the new ideas that this gave him, the demon chuckled again, then paused, watching Ichigo. The other boy didn't seem to have heard him, though, or had simply disregarded it, so the demon started after him again, keeping up easily. The entire time, the voice in the back of his head ranted and raved and threatened. The demon just tuned out Renji's furious, scared voice, and followed Ichigo into his home and up to his bedroom.

Nobody appeared to be home at this time of day, which was perfect, because it probably meant that they were all at school, another concept the demon had learned from Renji's memories. Ichigo was either playing hooky, or had left the school when he felt the shinigami's presence in his town.

Once in Ichigo's room, the teen turned around and headed back for the door. "Okay, make yourself comfortable. I gotta go let the others know there's no Hollow in the area," he waved casually, which answered the demon's question. Ichigo had left school. Well, since he had already left, there was really no point in him going back, now was there.

The demon took only a moment to decide on his immediate course of action. Normally, he'd tackle his prey and give him a chance to fight back. However, he was far too impatient to wait for his prey to fall in battle, and there was the slightest chance that he might, just _might_, not actually win the fight. There would be plenty of time for a good fight later on, he supposed.

Summoning up the shinigami's magic, the demon fueled it with his own power, and skipped the incantation all together. A blue burst of power flew at Kurosaki, who felt it coming and dodged out of the way…right into the path of the demon's true spell. Ichigo's own shadow snapped up and grabbed him, binding him more strongly than chains would have done.

With a grunt, Ichigo was thrown to the ground, dragged there by the shadow chains wrapped around his arms and legs. Rapidly, wasting no time, more shadows climbed over him, weighing him down, so that soon, he grew tired of struggling under their mass.

When Ichigo lay still, even if only for a few moments, the demon smiled cruelly. "Oh, you're good," he praised lightly. "I rather believer I'm going to enjoy myself. Perhaps," he chuckled, "we both will. After all, Renji does consider you to be one of his closest friends."

A sudden jerk, and the demon watched in satisfaction as Ichigo renewed his struggles, his spiritual powers flaring and his brown eyes snapping with fury. Oh, this was going to be so much fun. Not only could he use the humans against Ichigo, but he could use the shinigami as well.

The smile was wiped abruptly off his face as the shadow chains started to crack under Ichigo's reiatsu. Dammit! He shouldn't be able to break a demon's spell with sheer willpower, like he could break a shinigami's attack. Snarling, he moved forward and delivered a swift kick to the boy's temple, temporarily stunning him. Gesturing again, the demon called forth more chains to bind him, so many that they were no doubt starting to bruise and tear his captive's skin.

"Continue struggling, human, and you'll find out exactly what I can do to, and with, this body," he snarled furiously. "And don't even think about calling out your Hollow self. He can't get you out of this," he assured the teen. Of course, Ichigo was mostly powerless while trapped within his completely human body, but just to make sure, the demon used the shadows to remove the pendant that Ichigo kept with him, that would allow him to transform into a shinigami at any time. There would be time to play with that power later.

The struggles had stilled at the threat to his friends, and Ichigo glared up at him. "Touch any one of my friends, and you won't live long enough to regret it," he swore, and the demon believed him. Or, at least, he would have believed him, if they were on equal standings. Which, obviously, they were not, for the demon had taken him down with relative ease. Still, the boy had put up a decent fight for a mere human. His shinigami form would no doubt prove more fun, and the Hollow form would probably be an absolute delight. But the demon wasn't interested in seeing Ichigo's other forms right now.

No, right now, it was all about his pleasure…and perhaps Renji's. The shinigami, catching a stray thought as it passed through the demon's mind, snapped, struggling mightily and causing a huge ruckus inside the demon's skull. Closing his eyes, the demon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I can see that this might take a while, but I promise, we'll all enjoy this…eventually," he chuckled, leering down at Ichigo, who continued to glare at him defiantly.

Shrugging, the demon ignored the boy chained on the ground and wandered around the small room, taking note of everything. Hmm…this wouldn't be a good place for them to stay, since it was apparent that shinigami walked in and out of this house almost at will. So they'd need to relocate, as it were.

Snickering to himself, the demon turned back to Ichigo, still wearing Renji's casual smirk, and bent down next to the prone body. "As much as I'd love to talk with you some more, we've got to move now, and I can't have you making this more difficult for me. So go ahead and sleep now. There will plenty of time for playing when you're awake again," he told the other boy in a falsely reassuring tone. Holding his palm in front of the teen's chest, the demon gathered his power, then blasted it straight at Ichigo.

Ichigo went flying, despite the heavy chains that weighed him down, and crashed into the far wall of his bedroom. His head snapped back against the wall, and then he tumbled to the ground, unconscious. A dent and a smear of blood from an apparent head wound now decorated the young man's room, and the demon smiled happily. Anyone who saw this would no doubt try and track Ichigo down, and Ichigo would have no choice but to hold them at bay, or even to fight them himself, if he wanted them to stay alive.

Sauntering over to the other boy, the demon picked him up and tossed him over his shoulder before darting out of the bedroom window. He never even noticed the little stuffed lion that had been watching him silently from the bed. Shuddering, Kon slipped to the floor and ran as fast as his stuffed legs would take him, heading straight for Urahara's shop. He had to let the other shinigami know what was going on!


	2. Chapter 2

A sharp pain across his mouth, and Ichigo jerked, trying to dodge the next blow, even as he opened his eyes to glare at whatever asshole was slapping him. He found himself staring blankly at Abarai Renji, trying to recall exactly why the other shinigami was standing in front of him, with a cruel smile on his face. Not that it really mattered, because the jerk had just hit him, and that just wasn't acceptable.

With a low snarl, Ichigo lunged forward, but was stopped short as his arms jerked up behind him, metal biting into his wrists. Ichigo stopped short, ignoring Renji's amused chuckle as he assessed his position, realizing for the first time that he had been standing when he awoke. He was slow on the uptake today, and that was just unforgiveable.

His ankles were attached to the floor of the room by short chains that kept them about shoulder width apart, a relatively comfortable position. His arms were tugged back and up, chained to the ceiling, but with no room to give. His shoulders ached from being pulled backwards so tight, and no doubt he had been pulling on them while he was unconscious. A heavy pressure pushed against his throat, and Ichigo realized that he was…collared. The collar didn't appear to be attached to anything, though, so he could move his head a little more freely.

He was bare-chested, and a little cold, but his jeans were still on, which was a relief at least. But, of course, his pendant was missing, having been taken by Renji, or his look-alike, back in Ichigo's bedroom, where he had been attacked.

Turning his head, Ichigo looked around the barren room. It appeared to be one of the temporary buildings that were slated for destruction, but hadn't been knocked down yet. There was a thick layer of grime laying everywhere, and Ichigo wrinkled his nose in distaste. The single tall window in the room was covered in a thick curtain, faded sunlight shining along its edges.

There were three doors, one of them no doubt led to the hallway, one to the bathroom, and the last one probably led to the kitchen area. The room that Ichigo was in had most likely been the main living quarters. Now barren of furniture, it appeared to have been only slightly modified, with the addition of the chains and their brackets bolted rather firmly into the wall. Ichigo tugged on the chains, and they didn't give at all, so he quickly gave up.

Movement out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention, and Ichigo ducked his head, just in time to avoid another open-handed slap to the face. Instead, it clipped the back of his head, and Ichigo winced, only vaguely remembering that his head had slammed into his bedroom wall before he had lost consciousness. Perhaps the slap would have been better he thought idly, glaring up at Renji.

"What the _hell_ is your problem?" he snapped at the other shinigami. "You on drugs or something?" he demanded. All he got for his efforts was a serene smile and another slap to the face, this one hitting across his mouth hard enough that he tasted blood.

Spitting, he growled deep in his throat. As soon as he found a way out of this, he was going to kill Abarai Renji, right after beating him to a pulp.

"For being so powerful, you really are amazingly dense," Renji purred, leering at him again. Ichigo kept silent, waiting to see what would happen next. "This might be Renji's body, but he's hardly the one in control. And you don't need to know my name, so Renji will work perfectly. We're going to have lots of fun, Kurosaki Ichigo," he announced gleefully, completely unfazed by the teen's murderous glare.

Ichigo barely refrained from rolling his eyes and snapping back something sarcastic to the parasite that had apparently taken over Renji's body. It's not like the fact that it wasn't Renji acting of his own free will was going to save the shinigami a beating. He should have been strong enough to defeat the…whatever it was.

Ichigo wasn't stupid, despite appearances and behavior to the contrary. Under that brash fighter was a keen, strategic mind, and he had remembered the conversation back in his bedroom, when he had first been attacked. _After all, Renji does consider you to be one of his closest friends. _Words spoken by the enemy, but that rang true nonetheless. _Continue struggling, human, and you'll find out exactly what I can do to, and with, this body._ A threat, directed against the very person that now stood in front of him, against one of Ichigo's friends.

He realized that he could not risk Renji's life carelessly, no matter what Renji might have to say about it if he was able. For now, he supposed he'd have to play along, which meant not struggling. Unfortunately, that was pretty much impossible for Ichigo, who had always been a fighter.

Another slap, and Ichigo grinned, realizing that it was pissing the…_thing _off that he wasn't paying any attention to it.

Seeing that he had Ichigo's limited attention once more, the demon snarled, "Don't think I'm someone you can take lightly. I've already taken control of one your friends. Your friends here in the human world are weaker than even this shinigami, aren't they? How difficult do you think it would be for me to find them, and kill them? The Quincy might be a little more of a challenge, but the little girl, Orihime Inoue? Or perhaps your other friends, the ones that know nothing about your other life? You have two younger sisters as well, don't you?"

The demon was purring in satisfaction by the end, watching as Ichigo's eyes darkened with rage and a helpless sort of pain that had nothing to do with the little slaps the demon had been delivering. It appeared that he was finally starting to realize just how vulnerable the friends that surrounded him were without his ability to protect them.

"You're finally starting to understand," he smiled, the expression positively vicious on Renji's face. Ichigo shuddered, snarling at the demon, but not speaking. "Oh, and seeing as that neither you, nor the shinigami, have any abilities that would aid you in fighting a demon, I would ask that you not try anything."

The demon continued, " I'm sure that some of your friends have wondered where you went to, and while that collar does a marvelous job hiding your reiatsu, it won't keep a determined friend from coming to your aid. I did, however, take the liberty of leaving a message for them, telling them that you're in Seireitei right now. It will probably take them a little while to figure it out. In the meantime, you and I are going to have fun," he chuckled. "I want to see how low I can bring you before you shatter."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, the words coming automatically in the face of such a blatant challenge. "Really? Then let's see what you've got. 'Cause if all you're gonna do is slap me around a bit, nothing's gonna happen, except that I'm going to be pissed and beat the crap outta you as soon as I break free," he snapped back.

The demon threw his head back and laughed, obviously amused with Ichigo's continued defiance. "That's good," he replied, still chuckling. Three blows struck him across the face in rapid succession, and Ichigo bore it stoically, glaring back up at the demon even as the blood pooled in his mouth. "No, this is only the beginning," he continued, slamming the back of his hand back across Ichigo's face and watching in delight as the teenager choked.

Holding out a hand, the demon materialized one of his blades from thin air. Very much like a zanpakuto for a shinigami, demon's had their own blades, extensions of themselves. His blade was a dagger, with a bone hilt, and intricate carvings tracing down the sides of the blade. The carvings etched themselves into the blade with every conquest, and altered every time the blade claimed another life. If the being was particularly powerful, the blade itself would be transformed. If the demon took Ichigo's life with this dagger, it was possible that the dagger would become a sword when fed that much spiritual energy.

Ichigo watched warily as the demon held the dagger, seeming to be debating with himself. Probably on where to cut first, Ichigo thought darkly. Still, unless the demon was planning to stab him to death, it probably wouldn't be as bad as a fight against Kenpachi…or Byakuya. Even Ulquiorra had done more damage than the demon's blade was likely to do.

The blade touched his skin, and Ichigo winced. The metal was ice cold, and left goose bumps in its wake as the demon traced it lightly across his skin, leaving only a thin pink scratch mark that didn't even bleed. Walking around his body, the demon stopped when he reached his back, and Ichigo twisted his head as far as he was able, trying to keep an eye on the demon's movement. He could sense the energy emanating from the shinigami behind him, but it wasn't helping him at the moment.

A sudden intake of breath as the blade sliced down his back, right inside his left shoulder blade, a thin path of warm blood trailing in its wake. A second slice followed only seconds later, and Ichigo jerked against the chains, but with no room to give, his struggles only resulted in the blade cutting deeper.

Snarling, his anger overriding the stinging sensation, Ichigo held still, feeling the blade draw yet a third line down his back, inside the right shoulder blade this time. A fourth one to match, and Ichigo froze, realizing that the demon was drawing them parallel. Which meant that the next one would probably be drawn right over his spine.

Sure enough, the blade dug into his skin, right over top of his vertebrae, and Ichigo held still. It didn't seem like the demon really wanted to kill or maim him right now, but he was almost positive that if he jerked, the demon wouldn't care if the blade severed his spine and paralyzed him.

"I see you're finally learning," Renji's voice murmured in his ear, the demon pressing up against his back and making Ichigo wince as the rough material of Renji's kimono scratched against the cuts on his back. "I don't want to do any permanent damage, yet, but if you move too much, I might not be able to help it." Pulling away, Ichigo sighed, still tense and waiting, knowing that there was no way in hell the demon was done with him.

He cried out, unable to help himself, when sharp nails dug into his cuts, widening them. Shit, that hurt! Writhing, Ichigo tried once more to jerk away, or to call up enough power to break free. But it seemed that the collar was doing its job, suppressing his reiatsu. Dammit!

After several agonizing moments, the demon withdrew, and Ichigo slumped as far as his chains would let him, barely registering the pain as his wrists were rubbed raw in their shackles. He vowed to himself that he'd tear the demon away from Renji and make him regret having ever chosen to hunt him. Nobody messed with Ichigo and his friends and got away with it unscathed. A dark chuckle behind him, and Ichigo's eyes darkened with a murderous rage. The demon was a dead man!


	3. Chapter 3

Heavy breathing filled the air, as Ichigo took his reprieve for what it was…a temporary break between attacks. The demon was getting impatient, because Ichigo wasn't breaking. In fact, he wasn't doing much but glaring and snapping back sarcastic comments at the demon. Soon, the demon would no doubt start to be more creative.

Ichigo shifted slightly in his bonds, trying to relieve some of the pressure on his shoulders. One of them had been dislocated within the first six hours of their first "session". Ichigo's back burned, where the cuts were now infected. Cutting him up hadn't been enough for the demon, and he had dug into the wounds with his hands, and sent a whip lashing across the wounds, an action which had finally made Ichigo scream. That particular action was repeated multiple times, until the teenager no longer had any breath to scream with, and hung in the chains, barely holding onto consciousness.

Still, he refused to break, or cry, or plead for mercy, and the demon was getting frustrated. He also appeared to have a near-constant headache, which was only aggravating him further. It seemed like Renji wasn't just sitting idly by while his friend was hurt, either.

Glancing tiredly at the window, Ichigo watched the beams of sunlight glittering through the heavy curtain. It had only been two days, and he was already exhausted. Unable to summon up his own reiatsu, and at a severe disadvantage in his current position, unable to put all of his weight into tearing the chains from the wall, Ichigo was trapped.

He wondered idly where Kon was, and if he had had any luck. He had felt the modified soul in his room when he had been taken, and knew that the stupid stuffed lion would no doubt go running to Urahara, where the other shinigami would be notified of Renji's apparent attack on Ichigo. Hopefully, they'd realize that there was something wrong with the story, and not try to kill Renji when they found them.

Then again, why hadn't they found Ichigo yet? It had only been two days, but Kurakara wasn't really a large town. Unless, of course, the demon had left hints indicating that he wasn't in the town at all. In which case, the shinigami were off on a wild goose chase, and Ichigo was right under their noses. Eventually, somebody would realize that they may have made an error, but by then, it might be too late. Ichigo was well aware that the demon was about to step up the violence. He just didn't know how bad it was going to be.

Silent footsteps that sent dust swirling around the room, and Ichigo stiffened, alert again. The demon was back. He pressed up against Ichigo's back once more, but the teenager immediately noticed the difference. Instead of the rough fabric of the shinigami's kimono, smooth, bare skin pressed against his back. Ichigo swallowed, unsure of where the demon was going, but finding that he didn't mind the warm skin pressed against him at all, which was an equally disturbing thought.

"In case you were wondering why your friends haven't come for you yet, I've led them to believe that you're trapped in Hueco Mundo. That Renji came to deliver you a false message and took you to the Hollow's homeland. No doubt they've launched their attack by now. The Hollows probably don't know what's happening, either," the demon commented gleefully, "but they won't care. They'll fight the shinigami just because they can."

The demon reached around Ichigo and embraced him from behind, one hand reaching up to grip his chin firmly as he whispered in the teen's ear. "By the time they break through to the fortress, and realize you aren't there, it will be far, far too late. Some of them might even die in the attempt. And for what? A little boy who likes to play at being a hero? A boy who isn't even there?"

Another chuckle, and Ichigo had heard enough. With a growl, he jerked his chin out of the demon's grasp and snapped forward, biting down hard on the hand in front of him. The demon growled and tore his hand free before slamming his fist into Ichigo's cheek. A loud crack echoed through the room, and pain exploded across his face. Lights flashed in front of Ichigo's eyes, and the substitute shinigami cried out, his face twisting away from the demon's fist.

A second fist caught him, and with a sickening crunch, blood poured from Ichigo's nose, which was now quite obviously broken. Gasping, Ichigo bowed his head, trying to spit out the blood that was flowing into his mouth, but finding it more difficult than expected, with a cracked cheek bone and a swollen jaw.

The demon, calmed now that he had spilled some blood, walked around to stand in front of Ichigo, gripping his chain painfully between his fingers once more. Leaning forward, the demon's tongue lapped lightly at the blood dripping from Ichigo's chin. Smiling in satisfaction and pleasure, the demon pressed closer, his tongue running in long strokes up Ichigo's chin and mouth.

Too tired to jerk away, Ichigo just hung there, waiting for the demon to finish, and not bothering to hide his disgust. It wouldn't do him any good, regardless. Knowing that his friends were in danger, looking for him in such a dangerous place, maybe even dying while he was being held captive by a demon only a few blocks away from his own home, left him despairing.

"Oh, what's this? Hmm…it seems that this is entirely too reminiscent of some of Renji's more…explicit fantasies," the demon chuckled, and Ichigo shook himself a little out of his daze at the odd words, glancing up at the demon warily. What the hell was he on about now?

Renji's laughing eyes, lit up with a wicked glee, stared back at him, and Ichigo swayed momentarily towards the familiar features before catching himself. Angry now, Ichigo reminded himself that it wasn't his friend standing in front of him, but a demon possessing his friend's body.

"Renji, I don't know what this guy's talking about, but so help me, if you don't hurry up and kick his ass soon, I'm gonna have to do it for you," he growled, eyes still defiant within his battered face.

The demon cocked his head to the side, and seemed vaguely surprised. "Oh? You don't know what I'm talking about? Perhaps I should show you?" A wince followed, indicating that Renji was kicking up a ruckus again, and the demon smiled cruelly. "He doesn't like this idea much. Which means, of course, that I'm going to do it anyhow. Maybe I'll kill two birds with one stone, hm?"

Sliding around behind Ichigo once more, the demon pressed Renji's body up against his back, and Ichigo could suddenly _feel_ what the demon had been talking about. His muscles locking, the teenager froze in denial. No way could the demon mean what he was starting to think he meant. No. Fucking. Way.

Long, slender fingers slid across his abdomen, and Ichigo trembled, wincing as that hand put pressure on cracked ribs. Another low chuckle, and a second hand slid down his back, stopping to rest on his left hip. A low, wet slide, and a tongue lapped at the sweat and dried blood on the back of Ichigo's neck.

The substitute shinigami snarled, shaking his head in denial. No way in hell was this happening! Ignoring the pain throbbing through his dislocated shoulder, Ichigo slammed his head backwards, connecting with Renji's nose with a satisfying crack, even as pain assaulted his head as well.

Cursing, the demon stumbled backwards, out of reach, which was perfectly fine by Ichigo. Out of reach meant that he couldn't do anything, either, so Ichigo wasn't about to complain that the demon should come closer so he could kick his ass.

"Very well, then, boy," the demon snarled at him, baring his teeth, "if that's how you want to play, then that's how we'll play." Moving with the speed of a shinigami, the demon slammed into him, wrenching both of his shoulders out of alignment. Ichigo couldn't help it; he screamed.

A fist connected with his temple, and Ichigo slumped in his bindings, stunned once more. The demon didn't waste any time after that, using Ichigo's blood to ease the way, he slammed home, wrenching a bone-deep howl from the bound shinigami. His own laughter drowned out by the howling, both in the room and in his head, the demon rejoiced. He had found the means by which to break Kurosaki Ichigo.


	4. Chapter 4

He _hurt_. That was the only thought running through Ichigo's head as he slowly regained consciousness. Everything ached and burned, and his body felt like an entire army of Gargantuan had jumped up and down on him. Cursing lightly, Ichigo shifted, then froze as a spike of pain shot up his spine. What the hell?

Oh…yeah. That. Damn, it had hurt, but Ichigo had heard it, even through his own agony – a scream that echoed his, full of pain and rage as the demon laughed through it all. So Renji was still in there, and was still fighting. That's all Ichigo had needed to know, that his friend was still in there, still trying to break free, even as the demon tormented both of them.

Shuddering, Ichigo flinched as the memories assaulted him. The demon's cruel laughter still rang in his ears, and his cruel grip left sickening bruises on Ichigo's hips. He hadn't been expecting the assault, and he had paid dearly for it. Still, knowing that Renji was fighting, too, was enough for him to decide that there was no way in hell the demon was going to get the better of him. If he thought that this would make Ichigo break, he was delusional.

A sudden snap of fingers, and Ichigo startled, even as the shackles fell from his wrists. Not ready for the sudden loss of the chains, Ichigo tumbled to the ground, crying out as he hit the floor, jarring his injuries. Light footsteps padded across the room, and Ichigo saw bare feet, right before the demon stepped on his dislocated shoulder. Grunting, the teenager bit his lips rather than cry out again. He was so tired of screaming all the damn time.

A low chuckle, and the demon shifted all of his weight onto Ichigo's shoulder, wringing a strangled whimper from his prey. It looked like the boy was still trying to defy him, even while in agony, wondering what the demon might come up with next to torture him.

Kneeling next to the prone body, the demon reached out with a warm hand and swept Ichigo's blood-matted hair from his forehead, careful to remain gentle. Simple pain wouldn't break him, but being forced to enjoy himself? The demon was eager to see how that would work.

Leaning down, he purred softly in Ichigo's ear. "It's all right, Ichigo. No pain this time, I promise. Your friend's here, and he won't let you be hurt." A single brown eye glared up at him, but Ichigo remained stubbornly silent. Amused, the demon shifted just slightly, letting Renji peek through, just a little bit.

Ichigo's eyes widened when he saw Renji peeking through the demon's cruel face, and he shuddered. Renji was awake and aware of everything that was happening. Dammit! Ichigo didn't know if he'd ever be able to face the other shinigami when all of this was over. Of course, it might very well be a mutual feeling on both their parts.

Again, those warm hands reached out to him, and Ichigo flinched, but held still, waiting for the pain to shoot across his vision. Instead, another gentle brush swept his bangs back, and Ichigo tried to shift away, uncomfortable and wary. Fingers gripped his chin firmly, but not painfully, holding him in place as the demon shifted again, trailing his free hand down Ichigo's back, the pressure light and tickling down the small of his back, and then firmer on the way back up.

Ichigo, unable to roll away on his wrenched shoulders, felt himself relaxing as the soothing strokes continued. This was the first time in three days that he had felt a touch not intended to cause pain, and he found himself unwillingly grateful for the reprieve. A minor adjustment above him, and a warm tongue slipped over the back of his neck, teeth nipping very lightly at the top of his spine as the firm strokes continued.

Ichigo's eyes flew open, and he made a sound of protest, knowing what the demon was planning. "Don't even think about it," he snarled furiously, trying to mask the hint of fear in his voice and failing. "I'll tear you to pieces," he threatened uselessly.

Renji's voice replied, "Aw, don't be like that, Ichigo. This can be fun, you know. We're friends, aren't we?" The voice was so soothing, almost hypnotic, but it still wasn't Renji's voice, and Ichigo shook his head. It was the demon, not Renji. Not Renji.

Pressing his face into the floor, Ichigo shuddered again as the soothing motions continued. Renji rose and straddled his body, maintaining the massage. As he rubbed across Ichigo's tender back, the substitute shinigami hissed. "Oh, I suppose we should take care of this first, huh?" Renji's voice was amused and brash, and Ichigo startled, the other man's tone too close to normal for comfort. The demon's sensual purr was gone, and in its place was the fun-loving, arrogant, brash Renji.

The sound of a lid opening filled the silent room for a moment, and when Renji's hands returned, they had a warm cream on them that he rubbed carefully into Ichigo's infected back. "This should help things along very quickly," he spoke as he continued to treat the injuries. "The fourth squad uses it back in Sereitei, and it works quickly. You should be feeling less pain in just a moment."

Sure enough, just as promised, the burning pain faded from Ichigo's back, and he slumped, the sudden relief nearly overwhelming. Strong, sure fingers moved up to his dislocated shoulder, and a voice warned, "This is probably gonna hurt," right before he snapped the shoulder back into place. Ichigo cried out, not caring about his promise to not let the demon see his pain. This wasn't the demon, after all. It was Renji. It had to be, because there was no way in hell the demon would have bothered to treat his wounds.

Finished with his shoulder, those slightly callused hands began kneading along his back again, careful to avoid the healing injuries. Renji's voice started up again, and Ichigo listened quietly, unable to summon the energy and will to fight right now.

"You were hurt the last time, Ichigo. Let me show you how nice it can feel. There doesn't have to be pain, if you just give yourself over to it," Renji's voiced soothed, his words promising. Ichigo closed his eyes, trying to sort out in his own head what was happening, and what he wanted to happen. What he should do was to roll over and start pounding on the other shinigami until the demon retreated, or Renji managed to defeat him.

Another slide downwards, and the tongue was back, tracing its way down his spine. The warm, wet slide made Ichigo shiver, and he realized that even though it had only been three days, he was tired of being hurt all the time. He wanted something different. Maybe not something like this, but right now, it appeared to be the best he would get.

Still, something inside Ichigo wouldn't let him give up without a fight, and so he set his arms in front of him, biting his lip to hold in the moan of pain. Shoving himself up abruptly, he turned as quickly as he could and sent his fist flying, aiming for Renji's face. Unfortunately, he wasn't as quick as usual, having been weakened over the past few days, and the demon dodged the attack without any problems.

Laughing easily in that laid-back manner that sounded so much like Renji, the demon grinned at him, his eyes sparkling. "That wasn't very nice, Ichigo. But we can play rough if you'd prefer." With that, his eyes flashed and he lunged, knocking Ichigo backwards onto the floor. Another snap, and with a rattle, the chains attached to the ceiling snaked down and trapped his wrists. They then adjusted their position so that they were bolted into the far wall, and Ichigo realized that the chains had materialized, much as the demon's dagger had.

Fingers continued down his chest and ribcage, stopping now and again to apply some light pressure on the ones that were cracked. Ichigo grunted with each new pain, but refused to cry out or give in, his eyes growing dark in his renewed anger and determination. No way was he giving in, because they both knew that the moment he did, Ichigo would be lost. He would shatter, and there would be no way to pick up the pieces afterwards.

The demon slid his arms under Ichigo's legs, and pulled them up and apart, pulling the shorter man into his lap, the chains lengthening just enough for him to do so. Ichigo, for his part, fought against the demon's strength as best as he could from such a disadvantageous angle. His strength still wasn't enough to keep the other man from sliding back into him, the burn and tear just as bad as the first time. His head thrown back, Ichigo cried out, trying to adjust to the feeling of being torn apart.

Slowly, he realized that the demon wasn't moving, but was instead just sitting there, waiting for something. Staring back at the demon, Ichigo watched him smile, and then he started moving. Ichigo growled, biting his lip hard enough that it split open and bled. The demon shifted, folding Ichigo nearly in half, so that he could lap at the blood while he fucked the helpless teen.

Reaching down, the demon grabbed Ichigo and started moving his hand. The sudden gesture caught Ichigo by surprise, and he cried out again. A slight shift in angle, and sparks flew up Ichigo's spine, the pain slowly being chased away by this new pleasure. In horror, Ichigo realized that the demon actually intended to make him _enjoy_ being raped.

Snarling, Ichigo renewed his struggles to free himself, but had no better luck this time than any of the previous times. The collar kept him helpless, and the demon's physical strength was overwhelming compared to his human strength. Slowly, even as Ichigo fought it, the pleasure built up and up, until he couldn't stand it anymore. With a cry, Ichigo arched his back and came, shuddering.

The demon continued to thrust into him, increasing his pace now that Ichigo was sated, and weak with shame and guilt. Shortly afterwards, he came inside the teen, a deep throaty laugh trickling from between clenched teeth.

Sated for the moment, the demon released Ichigo and just lay across the substitute shinigami's body, content to remain right where he was. Suddenly, and without warning, Renji lunged forward and attacked, having kept quiet throughout the entire attack, biding his time.

With a howl of rage, the demon lurched up and off of Ichigo, turning to snarl at his opponent. However, he was still drunk on power and sex, and Renji had been watching, even as he fought, trying to find the demon's weak point. Now, he used that knowledge cruelly and accurately, attacking the very center of the black mist that was the demon's true form.

Snapping back, the demon lashed outwards, thin razor-sharp whips striking out at Renji, attacking wherever they could reach. Ignoring the burning slices, Renji continued to hack at the mist, heading for its heart, a single black gem that had only shown itself twice, both times when the demon was sated from having raped his friend.

Ichigo remained on the floor, his head turned away from the scene in front of him, not really aware of what was going on. Oftentimes, when Renji was kicking up a fuss, the demon would start hissing and growling in that deep voice that just sounded so _wrong _coming from Renji's throat. He wondered idly if Renji had enjoyed it, but then chastised himself. Of course Renji hadn't enjoyed it. They were friends, and even if they had been more, Ichigo knew that Renji would never force him. Not like this.

Closing his eyes, waiting for the demon to finish with his current distraction, Ichigo sighed, retreating to his world. He didn't do this often, but since Hichigo was locked away inside of him, thanks to the damn collar, he visited the Hollow occasionally.

"Yo, Ichigo! Been a while," the Hollow grinned manically, his tone grating as always. "Looks like you're having fun out there. Want me to kick the shit outta that guy for ya?" he offered, and Ichigo just glared at him.

"Don't even think about it. Besides, you told me yourself that you can't get out right now anyhow, didn't you?" he demanded, his eyes narrowed. The Hollow just shrugged, and Ichigo snorted, sitting down and leaning back against the building he was currently sitting on, staring up at the odd sky. Huh. No rain, he noted idly, vaguely surprised.

Watching the clouds drifting by, Ichigo wondered how his friends were doing. If only he could find a way to get a message to Sereitei, they could call a retreat. Then again, if he could get a message to Sereitei, he wouldn't be in his current predicament, either. A low chuckle to his right, and Ichigo turned his head to stare at the Hollow, whose yellow eyes gleamed back at him, amused.

Ichigo quickly ran over their last conversation, and the only other one they had before then, and blinked. "Okay, so you can't come out because of the collar. But you can still fight the demon? Without killing Renji?" he asked, trying to clarify.

The hollow laughed again. "Of course. The demon is merely a being like myself, except he's the king, and your friend is his horse. There should be no reason that we can't meet in the inner-world. And I've been itching to take a shot at him," he smiled darkly, and it was obvious, even to Ichigo, that he wasn't enjoying things any more than the shinigami was.

With a shrug, he consented. "Very well, do as you want. But don't harm Renji, or I will destroy you." He knew that the Hollow would take the threat seriously, because it was the one thing that he never swayed on, other than his control – mess with his friends, and you were dead. Simple as that.

Ichigo left the inner-world and refocused on the present, seeing Renji kneeling on the ground, panting heavily. It looked like Renji wasn't going down without a major fight this time, and it was wearing him down.

As if aware of the scrutiny, Renji looked up, and Ichigo snarled, seeing only a pissed demon in those eyes. So Renji had lost, again. With no warning, the demon pounced on him, obviously intending to strike now while he had the chance. But he had no sooner gotten his hands wrapped around Ichigo's throat, than his own head snapped back, eyes opened wide in surprise. He was under attack again, but not from the host body.

"What? You said you wanted to fight me, didn't ya? Keeping me chained isn't going to get us anywhere, so I thought I'd come and pay you a visit instead," a dark voice cackled. "Isn't that nice of me?"

Snarling, the demon released Ichigo and backed out of range of flailing feet, while he turned to face this new threat. It seems like the Hollow had gotten tired of waiting for his master to break so that he could take over. So be it.

Again, thin tendrils lashed out at the Hollow, but seemed to have no effect on him. He didn't have the use of Zangetsu, but he didn't need it. At their base core, demons and Hollow were very similar, and could fight on somewhat even terms. And this particular Hollow was furious and eager to tear into the one that had humiliated him and his king.

Ichigo might not even realize it, but Hichigo liked the loud-mouthed brat that could maintain so much power and control it all, and didn't appreciate watching him be tortured by the likes of a pathetic demon. Still, he was unable to attack on his own, but needed his master's permission to hunt the demon. "Don't harm Renji," was his only absolute, and so Hichigo would be very careful that neither his attacks, nor the demon's, injured the other man, who was slumped in a distant corner, panting and trying to recover enough strength to attack once more.

With a snarl as a whip struck him, Hichigo reached in and grabbed several of the strands, using brute force to tear them away from the main mass. It looked like Renji had done a good job, though, because the gem that was the demon's core was barely concealed by the mist used to defend it.

Giggling, Hichigo continued to tear into the demon, listening to its hisses and howls with delight, continuing to tear it apart with his bare hands. Realizing that it was going to lose, the demon gathered itself around its core, preparing to flee, but Hichigo wasn't having any of it. Apparently, neither was Renji, because the other man attacked, seemingly from out of nowhere, pinning the demon between them.

Renji wasn't in good shape, but his determination held him up and kept him standing when the demon tried to get through him, realizing that he was the weaker link. Still, this was his body, and there was no way in hell that Renji was going to be indebted to a damn Hollow, even if he belonged to Ichigo.

With the two of them attacking together, the demon didn't stand a chance. Moments later, it was over, when Renji grabbed the stone and crushed it, the Hollow watching in undisguised glee. Panting, exhausted down to his very soul, Renji glared up at the Hollow. "Get out," he hissed, just before losing consciousness and collapsing, not even certain if the Hollow had listened to him or not.

Shrugging, Hichigo left, having no interest in this shinigami. The fight was over, now all that was left was to pick up the pieces. Although, considering how stubborn both men were, there probably wouldn't be that many pieces to pick up, he chuckled, settling back down inside Ichigo's inner-world, while the teen remained unconscious, totally unaware of the battle that had just taken place.


	5. Chapter 5

Slowly regaining consciousness, Ichigo groaned, and immediately regretted it as his bruised throat protested. A straw was held to his lips, and Ichigo sipped at the water gratefully, not caring enough to pull away and glare at the demon.

When he had soothed his throat, the straw was pulled away, and Ichigo relaxed back into the pillows. Then he blinked. Pillows? Now that he was wide awake, the teenager risked opening his eyes. A familiar ceiling stood above him, and Ichigo realized belatedly that he was back in his own bedroom, lying on his bed, and the person beside him was…

Ah. The demon. Of course, Ichigo thought wryly, even as he tensed. His wounds were bandaged again, and he wasn't chained down, so this would probably be the only chance he'd have.

Before he could gather himself enough to attack, the demon held up his hands. "Whoa, there, Ichigo!" he called. "It's me, Renji." Ichigo just snorted, and a wry smile flitted across Renji's face. "And you, of course, have no reason to believe me. Ask the Hollow, though. He knows, and I'm not going anywhere."

Ichigo glared at him suspiciously, but realized that he wasn't going to know the truth until he had a chance to talk to Hichigo, and so he closed his eyes again, his body still set on high alert in case Renji so much as twitched in his direction, or headed for the door and his family.

Back in the inner-world, Ichigo quickly found Hichigo. The Hollow was just lying on his back, hands folded behind his head, relaxing as he stared up at the sky. When Ichigo approached, he sat up and grinned at his host. "Yo, Ichigo! Nice to see you up and about," he grinned. "Did you say 'hi' to Renji? He's been taking care of you for the past several days, and keeping the visitors at bay."

Ichigo blinked. "Then the demon really is gone?" he asked quietly, ignoring the comment about how long he'd been sleeping. That would explain why he wasn't still chained in that room. It would also mean that his family was safe, which was what mattered the most to him right now.

The Hollow laughed at him. "That's what you were worried about? The demon's gone. Your buddy and I took care of him," he assured. "Oh, and your pal there sent word to Sereitei, so the Commander called a retreat. All your friends are okay, too. Some of them visited you while you were sleeping, and others will visit you as soon as the Fourth Division releases them from their healing houses."

Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief. His friends were safe. Some of them might be battered or badly hurt, but they were alive and being taken care. But still…"How do you know all this?" he asked indignantly. "You'd better not have been coming out while I was asleep."

Hichigo just laughed at him. "Hardly, but he's been talking to you the whole time, ever since he started his bedside vigil. He's very informative, not that the sound of his voice has been helping you any." Ichigo snorted; no, he couldn't imagine that hearing Renji's voice while unconscious was helpful at all. But Renji wouldn't have known that, or would have tried anyhow, even knowing that it might not help, because he wouldn't be able to just sit there and do nothing.

Well, he had what he needed. It was time to leave. Inclining his head slightly, Ichigo said, "Thank you." With that, he turned and left, ignoring Hichigo's raucous laughter behind him. It was time to back to the real world and reassure himself that Renji was actually there, instead of the demon.

Opening his eyes back in his bedroom, he turned his head again to stare at Renji, who was watching him in return. Another small smile flitted across his face, and his eyes were warm and concerned at they stared at one another. Ichigo could see no traces of the demon in Renji's features, beyond the exhaustion that now lined his face and slumped his body. Fighting the demon had taken a lot out of him, in addition to the possession. And now he was standing guard over Ichigo's sleep.

"So, you won, then," Ichigo sighed, finally allowing his body to relax a little further into the pillows. Renji just nodded, watching him, but not meeting his eyes. Ichigo took the chance to look around, and winced. All of his human friends had been in, as had Rukia, judging by the overabundance of Chappy trinkets lying around his room.

Kon was sitting over in the corner, watching the two of them warily. Ichigo smiled carefully, his face still feeling swollen and bruised, and said, "Hey, Kon. Thanks for going for help." The modified soul just shook his head; he hadn't really been of any help, other than to let the others know that Ichigo had been attacked by Renji, thus nullifying the note that the demon had left behind for his friends to find, and forcing him to alter his plans a little, which actually resulted in a greater disadvantage for the shinigami and the others who would have come to his rescue.

A hand moved across his vision, and Ichigo flinched, his eyes darkening with defiance and a hint of fear at the unexpected movement. The hand froze for a second, and then lowered carefully to his forehead, brushing his bangs out of the way and then laying there briefly. "Sorry," Renji muttered, and Ichigo just shook his head, angry with himself. He was stronger than this. They both were, so why the hell did Renji still look so guilty?

Renji glanced up and met angry brown eyes, and flushed lightly, moving his hand away from where he had been checking for a fever. "Sorry," he muttered again, before sitting back and taking up his vigil once more. Which brought up another question.

"Where're dad and my sisters?" he demanded. "And why are you standing watch over me?"

Renji shrugged. "Your sisters are in school, and your father is at work. I'm standing watch over you because I'm not injured. And because I wasn't sure if you'd want any of your friends to stay with you while you recovered. Without the collar, your reiatsu has been flaring all over the place. The Hollow hasn't come out, though, which surprised me," he admitted, seeming honestly curious.

Ichigo just shrugged, turning to stare back up at the ceiling. "He doesn't come out anymore unless I call him," he stated simply, not feeling up to explaining any more than that." Renji just nodded, accepting his curt explanation.

An uncomfortable silence descended over the room, and Ichigo closed his eyes, trying to fall back asleep. He was nowhere near full strength, and while he appreciated not being sent to the Fourth Divisions healing houses, he found himself hoping that his father hadn't been allowed near him either. But, if that was the case, then that only left Renji to tend to his injuries, and he wasn't sure he was comfortable with that, either. So he'd rather not think about it at all.

Several minutes later, Ichigo opened his eyes with a sigh. There was just no way that he was going to be able to sleep with Renji in the room. Memories kept flashing through his mind, helped along by the twinges of pain that shot across his body when he moved. Well, if he couldn't sleep, then he might as well talk. Not that it was likely to be any better, but he couldn't just sit there and do nothing.

Painstakingly pushing himself into a sitting position, while Renji just sat and watched, obviously wanted to help but just as obviously afraid to, Ichigo finally made it into an upright position. Gesturing for Renji to lean in closer, because if he moved, he just might topple off the bed, Ichigo waited until Renji had moved a little closer, his normally brash eyes still concerned and worried.

Cocking his fist back, Ichigo let fly, punching Renji as hard as he was able to in his weakened condition. Renji didn't even dodge the blow, which he could have done easily, but he did curse when Ichigo's fist connected. Now it was his blood that was spilling, and Ichigo found that he felt much better after having given Renji some payback for letting that demon possess him in the first place.

Renji eyed him warily when no further attacks were forthcoming, and Ichigo grinned insanely back at him. "Don't even try to tell me you didn't deserve it," he taunted cheerfully. Renji just shook his head, some of the worry leaving his eyes as a small smile played at his mouth.

Seeing that smile, Ichigo finally relaxed. He wasn't comfortable by any means, but he knew for sure that the demon was gone, and that Renji wasn't planning on going anywhere, no matter how embarrassing things were probably going to get. Letting Renji help him to lie back down on his side, Ichigo settled into the pillow with a yawn. "We've got a lot of talking to do when I wake up," he warned the other man, watching him through drooping eyes.

Renji just nodded. "Yeah, I know," he acknowledged. "I'll be here." Ichigo was asleep as soon as the words were out of his friend's mouth, and Renji just sat back, taking up his vigil once more. He'd tell the others that Ichigo had woken up, but not yet. It could wait. For now, he just settled into the silence, his own thoughts and memories keeping him company.


	6. Chapter 6

As Ichigo recovered, the process much slower than he liked, he settled into a routine. He'd fall into a restless sleep around midnight, only to have nightmares start soon afterwards. Oftentimes, his reiatsu would flare, serving as a calling beacon to every Hollow in the area. Renji continued to stand vigil, while Rukia and Madarame chased down the Hollows that wandered into town, heading for the powerful reiatsu that flared so turbulently.

Usually, Ichigo would snap himself out of his nightmares, only to find Renji staring at him from across the room. He hadn't attacked the other man yet on these nights, but it was close thing, with Renji usually pleading with him to stop and listen for a minute, trying to reassure Ichigo that it was really just him, and that he was safe.

Other nights, though, when Ichigo could not escape the nightmares on his own, Renji had to move close enough to touch him and shake him out of them. As soon as those large hands touched his body, Ichigo attacked, and Renji usually bled. Ichigo had snarled at him to stop asking for a beating, but Renji wasn't listening.

Ichigo had even tried to get one of the other shinigami to remove Renji from his vicinity, but not only was the vice-captain having none of it, the other shinigami couldn't handle his flaring reiatsu. It would take a captain or vice-captain to both withstand the force of his panicked response, and to wake him up if he didn't do it on his own.

Furious with himself, and with Renji, Ichigo had tried several times to leave under his own power, only to find himself pressed back flat on the bed, an equally angry red-head poised above him. The images too close for comfort, Ichigo would lash out, but Renji would keep his hands pinned to the bed until he calmed down, or exhausted himself.

Ichigo didn't even understand his own reactions. He had been more or less resigned to his captivity, and to the near-constant torture, in that stupid room, locked in with a demon in Renji's body as his only companion. Now that he was free, and the demon was dead, he was freaking out. He couldn't explain it, and he sure as hell didn't want anybody else to try and explain it either. Ishida had already recommended that he talk to a 'therapist', and Ichigo had nearly throttled him. He didn't need a damn shrink – he needed these nightmares to go away!

When he was awake, Ichigo knew that he was safe, and that Renji wouldn't hurt him. In fact, the other man had shown nothing but a gentle concern for him, and Ichigo appreciated it. If he had seen pity in the other man's eyes, even once, he would have buried him. It was still sort of odd seeing Renji treat him so gently, considering the shinigami's combative personality, but he was starting to get used to it.

Still, Ichigo found himself wondering why Renji stayed with him. Surely, there were others who would watch over him, if that's what they felt was needed. Curious, he decided to try and find out on his own why Renji stayed so close to him. After nearly a week, Ichigo was finally feeling almost up to snuff. His aches and pains had gone away, and if it wasn't for the bone deep exhaustion that the nightmares left him in, he would have been up and out hunting Hollow with the other shinigami.

Still, he was strong enough to stay awake for long stretches of time now. Using that to his advantage, he settled down under his covers, letting his eyes drift shut and breathing evenly, but being very careful not to fall asleep. It took almost an hour, but eventually, Renji shifted and moved out of the chair he had been seated in, rolling himself up on the bedding on the floor.

Ichigo waited, and it wasn't long before he was rewarded. A groan issued from the shinigami on the floor, and Ichigo propped himself up on one elbow to watch as the other man tossed and turned, obviously caught in his own nightmare. Ichigo found himself wondering what it was that Renji dreamed of. Was it of his possession? Or was there something more?

With a sudden cry, Renji shot straight up, sitting ramrod straight and panting heavily. Ichigo, already burrowed back in his bed, eyes closed, wondered in awe how he had managed to not hear the loudmouth when he shouted like that. A heavy swallow, and Ichigo could feel that strong gaze on him. Trying not to let it bother him, the teenager continued to breathe quietly, hoping that this was normal, and that he wasn't prone to nightmares this early into his uneasy sleep.

"He's right there, you idiot," he heard Renji mutter to himself, and realized with a jolt just what it was that Renji was dreaming. In his nightmares, Ichigo was gone, presumably dead. So the demon's possession had left its mark on Renji as well.

A shift of bedding, and then quiet footsteps padded across the small room, stopping only when Renji settled back into the chair by Ichigo's bed. With a tired sigh, Renji settled himself back into the uncomfortable chair, tucking his feet up and curling as far back into the chair as possibly, his gaze once more focused on Ichigo, as if to make sure that the other boy was real, and wasn't about to disappear on him.

What a sorry lot they were, Ichigo reflected; one who had nightmares that his friend was still possessed and coming to get him, and the other one afraid that if he looked away even for a few moments, Ichigo would disappear.

Stretching out, Ichigo didn't stop to think, but flipped back the covers on his bed. "That can't really be comfortable," he murmured, tired now that his curiosity was sated. No response was forthcoming, and the substitute shinigami cracked open an eye to see Renji staring at him in surprise and puzzlement, but not irritation. "The bed's more comfortable than the floor, anyway," he murmured, trying to word his offer without being insulting. Silence again, and Ichigo shrugged to himself, turning to face the window. "Suit yourself," he slurred, the thoughts of a moment before already fading as he fell asleep.

His sleep after that remained blessedly undisturbed, and Ichigo woke up feeling more refreshed than he had since his rescue. Opening his eyes, Ichigo went to stretch, only to realize that his covers were pinning his arms. Shuddering as flashes of his captivity flashed through his mind, Ichigo struggled to remove himself from the sheets.

A groan sounded behind him, and Ichigo froze, realizing what had happened and relaxing. Apparently, Renji had taken his offer…sort of. The other shinigami was currently sleeping on top of the covers, a small distance kept between himself and Ichigo. Now that he was aware of the presence behind him, Ichigo realized that he could feel the heat that poured off of Renji.

Another small sound, and Renji struggled upwards, sitting up and releasing Ichigo's arms from his comforter. Taking the opportunity presented, Ichigo also sat up, tugging his arms out and stretching properly, happy to note that nothing ached or pulled when he did so. It looked like he'd be able to return to his normal activities soon. Which meant that he could go back to school on Monday.

"Mornin'," he greeted Renji around a yawn, ignoring the other man's obvious embarrassment at having fallen asleep in his bed. To be honest, he felt safer than he had in a long time, and was therefore feeling quite generous. So he wouldn't hold this over Renji's head. Besides, the shinigami had needed the rest just as badly as Ichigo had, and since he hadn't felt the redhead tossing and turning last night, he figured that Renji must have not been attacked by another bout of nightmares, either.

His reiatsu peaceful, Ichigo slipped out of bed and headed for the shower. There was nothing better in the world than hot water pouring over your body, and Ichigo relished the sensation. He had felt so filthy after his rescue from the demon, and had showered as often as he could convince somebody – usually Renji – to help him to the bathroom.

Relaxing under the warm spray, Ichigo allowed his mind to drift, not forcing anything in particular. Still, he found that his thoughts kept circling around the man who was probably standing guard just outside the door. His sleep last night hadn't been interrupted by nightmares, but that didn't meant he hadn't dreamt.

Ichigo had dreamed of that one incident, when the demon possessing his friend had tried a different tactic, playing the gentle lover, despite the fact that his prey was still partially chained down. He remembered how Renji's eyes had looked, the concern and trepidation in them, knowing what was coming next, and unable to stop it. For those brief moments, the demon had allowed Renji to peek through, no doubt confident that doing so would make Ichigo cave.

Obviously, he hadn't known Ichigo as well as he had believed, or else he had simply discarded Renji's own evaluation of the brown-eyed teen. After all, Renji and Ichigo held no illusions about each other's strength, determination, and sheer stubborn pride. They were both fighters, and when the demon had possessed Abarai Renji and kidnapped Ichigo, he had gotten far more than he had bargained for.

Although, Ichigo admitted ruefully, if it hadn't been for Hichigo and Renji taking on the demon, he'd probably still be chained up in that little room, bruised and bloody. So he supposed he really ought to be grateful. A wave of smugness lapped at his consciousness, and Ichigo just rolled his eyes. Trust the Hollow to be paying attention when he was feeling particularly soft. Tch!

Reluctantly finished with his shower, Ichigo climbed out of the tub. There probably wasn't any warm water left for Renji, but that was fine. He could either take a cold shower, or wait for a while until the water heated up again. Toweling off and shrugging into a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt, Ichigo left the bathroom, leaving his hair to air dry. It wouldn't take long, and it was more manageable than if he tried to towel it dry.

Stepping into his room, Ichigo stopped short and stared. While a part of him realized that it was rude to stare in such a blatantly obvious manner, the rest of him didn't really care.

Renji had let his hair down out of its normally spiky ponytail, and Ichigo realized just how long his hair actually was. It trailed down over his shoulders, stopping just above the small of his back. The hair actually appeared much softer when it was loose like this, and Ichigo found himself almost envious. The brilliant red color reminded Ichigo of flames, and he found himself wondering if the hair would be warm to the touch. The temptation to walk over to the shinigami and find out for himself was nearly overwhelming, but he managed to refrain from moving, scolding himself for even thinking such things.

Renji was aware of his presence now, and those dark, bold eyes stared calmly back at him, curious. For the first time, Ichigo didn't turn away, but allowed himself to appraise the other man, tracing the tattoos that painted a picture that only Renji knew the meaning of. The dark, bold lines obviously meant something to the brash shinigami, but Ichigo had never asked, and probably never would. If Renji wanted to tell somebody what they meant, then he would do so on his own.

Normally tense lips pulled upwards in a smile as Renji stood and walked towards him. "Is there any hot water left?" he asked casually, and Ichigo blinked, the question taking a moment to process through his brain.

"Umm…there should be more in about two minutes," he muttered, blushing now and cursing inwardly. Hichigo just chuckled at him, and even Zangetsu seemed amused. The old man had reappeared with the removal of that damn collar and the return of his shinigami form, but it was only in the past few days that Ichigo realized he could communicate with his zanpakuto while still in his human body.

Still, Zangetsu hadn't really bothered to come to the front, beyond reassuring Ichigo that he was still there. Ichigo appreciated that he had been given the breathing room, and he was in no shape to fight Hollow, so there was no real reason for the old man to show himself.

Chuckling, Renji brushed past him, and Ichigo found himself staring after the other man, his eyes following the brush of that silken hair over the taller man's shoulders and across his back. Another chuckle from Hichigo, and the teen just sighed, turning away and heading back into his room. He needed to make his bed, and then he'd have to go downstairs and reassure his father and sisters that he was all right.

Cracking his knuckles, Ichigo grinned; no doubt his father would want to make certain that he was back in peak physical condition, and there was nothing better than smacking the old man down to put Ichigo in a good mood. Chuckling himself now, Ichigo went to finish getting ready, his thoughts distracted from Renji for now.


	7. Chapter 7

Ichigo was bored. Completely, utterly, insanely _bored_. He had been deemed well enough to return to school after proving to his father that his reflexes – and his punches – were as keen and sharp as ever, but the other shinigami in town had refused to let him return to Hollow hunting duty. And to make certain that he didn't do anything foolish, they had sent a babysitter to tag along with him to school, making sure he didn't ditch and transform.

Ichigo turned and glared at the shinigami sitting behind him in a gigai. Renji just smiled back at him, completely unaffected by Ichigo's lethal stare. Apparently, since Renji had done such a good job guarding him in his own damn house, the others felt that he would be the perfect babysitter. Ichigo nearly growled, but refrained from doing so when he realized that the other students were starting to whisper, wondering what he had against the newcomer.

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo turned back around, but couldn't bring himself to listen to the boring lecture. With the return of his strength and the healing of his injuries, Ichigo's enthusiasm for fighting had returned, and he practically vibrated with the excess energy. Sitting in school was not helping him, but he was banned from becoming a shinigami and fighting Hollow.

Hmm…that gave him an idea. Just then, the school bell rang, and Ichigo sighed in relief. It was lunchtime, which meant that he could make his escape. He couldn't imagine that Renji was any happier than him to be stuck in this classroom, so it was time to ditch.

Moving up the stairs towards his usual place on the roof, Ichigo was aware of the shinigami following him, but he didn't slow his pace. He was tired of school, but he couldn't go back home yet, or Rukia would be all over him, demanding to know what he thought he was doing. If he wasn't on a mission, he shouldn't be skipping class.

Slipping onto the room, Ichigo moved towards the edge of the building and sat down, his back against the chain-link fence, tilting his head up towards the sun. A few times, in that dark room, with only a sliver of sunlight peeking through, Ichigo had wondered if the demon would kill him. He had wondered if he'd ever feel warm again. So now, rather than seek the shade as he usually did, Ichigo found himself drifting towards the sun.

A silent presence, Renji settled down beside him, comfortable and at ease on the roof, away from the rest of the students. Tilting his head back, Renji let the sun bathe his face, and Ichigo just watched quietly. Seems like he wasn't the only one that had missed the sun. The teenager wondered idly just how long Renji had been possessed before he had come looking for Ichigo. He couldn't imagine that it was too long, or else somebody would surely have noticed that Renji wasn't himself.

The two men sat in companionable silence for a while, not thinking about anything in particular, as they waited for their lunch hour to be over. After classes had started back up, Ichigo planned on sneaking out of the school and going for a walk, probably to the park or somewhere. No doubt Renji would follow him, but at least the other boy wouldn't try to talk him into returning to the school.

A large shadow fell over them, and Ichigo looked up to stare coolly at Chad, Ishida and Orihime not far behind him. Lifting a single eyebrow, Ichigo didn't move from his spot, and so the others sat down instead. Chad sat to Ichigo's left, with Ishida in front of Ichigo, and Orihime sat next to Renji on their other side.

"What's up?" he asked, hoping that perhaps there were a lot of Hollows hanging around and he'd get to go fight anyhow. Unfortunately, he wasn't nearly that lucky.

Ishida was the one that spoke, as Ichigo had known he would. "We're just checking to see if you're okay. And making sure you're not doing anything you're not supposed to be," he admitted. Ichigo just chuckled; apparently, Renji wasn't enough by himself.

Shrugging, Ichigo leaned back and closed his eyes, not bothering to reply. Besides, what would he say? "Sure, everything's fine, I just have constant nightmares and can't sleep unless Renji's in the bed with me?" He could just hear them now, telling him that his fixation and need for Renji wasn't healthy, and that he only felt that way because Renji was the only one locked in that room with him, and even if he was hurting him because he was possessed, it still wasn't a good idea to depend on the other shinigami.

Ichigo knew all that, and found that he didn't care. Renji hadn't stopped fighting, no matter what had happened, or what the demon had threatened him with, and Ichigo appreciated that more than he'd ever admit. After all, both of the men had their pride, and both had been threatened with the safety of their friends, but neither one would give in to the demon's demands. And so, their respect for each other had grown. Ichigo could see it in Renji's eyes sometimes when he caught him staring; a look that clearly stated that he held a great respect for Ichigo.

The guilt was there as well, but over the past several days, and especially after Ichigo had whacked him one, it had started to fade. Besides, he had been violated just as surely as Ichigo, regardless of whether or not he saw it that way. The demon had possessed his body, and had hurt Ichigo, but Renji had not helped him. It was only the demon, in the guise of a friend.

In their minds, they both knew that, but their pride still stung with the humiliation of being overcome like that. It would take time – and probably a lot of fighting, Ichigo mused – before they were comfortable and confident enough to rely only on their power again.

The warning bell rang, and Ichigo's friends stood. "Are you coming back to class?" Ishida asked, although judging by his tone, he already knew the answer, and was asking because it was expected, not because it was necessary.

Ichigo shook his head. "Naw. I've only got one more class to go, and the teacher probably won't even notice I'm gone," he shrugged, standing as well, but waiting for his friends to head back to class. One last glance from Chad and Orihime, and they were gone. Ichigo sighed.

"They mean well," Renji said, staring after them, "but they really are a pain, aren't they?" Ichigo just smiled and shook his head. His friends were worried, but they were quite well aware of how he'd react if they started asking him questions about what happened while he was missing. He didn't feel like telling them anything; it was bad enough that they had seen him after his near-death experience and subsequent rescue, when he was all bandaged and bruised and weak.

The class bell rang, and Ichigo headed back to the stairwell. Time to sneak out of school. Pity he wasn't allowed to shift into his shinigami form, or else he would have had Kon take his classes for him, and he'd just jump from the roof. Bad idea in his human form, though, he thought cheerfully.

Ten minutes later, they were walking through the park, with no particular destination in mind. Renji was a silent figure walking beside him, and Ichigo started talking. "I used to come here a lot when I was younger," he started, gesturing at the trees and plants around them. "Even as a kid, I'd get into a lot of fights, and I'd usually come here afterwards for a little while before going home, trying to cool down and make my injuries less obvious. It never did fool my mom, though," he murmured ruefully.

Rounding a corner, they left the wooded area of the park and found themselves walking parallel to a large lake. Ichigo stopped and stared, talking almost to himself as he watched the water glitter in the daylight. "One night, when I was walking along here with my mother, I saw a little girl drowning," he continued, the story detouring with his scattered thoughts.

"I ran to save her, and my mom, who didn't see anything, ran to save me. I survived. She drowned," Ichigo's voice was soft, his companion forgotten for the moment. "I later found out that it had been a Hollow, baiting those with enough spiritual power to see the vision he provided of the little girl. He was after me, not my mother."

Shaking his head, trying to banish the memories for a while longer, Ichigo turned to look at Renji, who was staring back at him neutrally, no pity in his eyes, which was good, because otherwise Ichigo would have had to hit him. "The demon…it was after me, too, right? You were just a convenient way for him to get close to me, and so you got hurt, too."

Renji sighed beside him. "Not…exactly," he admitted, obviously realizing the parallel that Ichigo had drawn, whether intentionally or not. "The demon came after me because I was alone, and because I was vice-captain level. He needed no more reason than that. He came after you only after searching through all of my memories. He was looking for something to play with, and you…intrigued him," he murmured, his voice as soft and honest as Ichigo's had been just moments before.

"You were something new. A human that was also a shinigami and a Hollow. A human that only gets stronger with each new fight, with every new enemy. Most people have a certain plateau that they can reach in power, and then they can't go any further. You haven't found that limit yet. Perhaps you never will," he admitted, curiosity and a little bit of envy finding its way into his voice.

"Once he found you, he was intrigued, and he deliberately searched for all of my memories and evaluations of you. He saw our first meeting all the way until the week before he came hunting for you, when we were working together in Sereitei," he admitted ruefully. "And so, he came here, to Kurakara Town, to find you. I believe that he wanted to both break you and fight your shinigami and Hollow forms, but wasn't completely positive that he'd win a fight if he didn't weaken you first. Although if he broke you, I don't know how he thought he'd get a good fight out of it. Unless he figured that Hollow would come out when you broke," he frowned, the thought just occurring to him.

Ichigo shrugged. It didn't matter what the demon's reasoning was any more, only that he hadn't succeeded. Still, the fact that a demon had invaded Sereitei and taken over a vice-captain level shinigami didn't bode well for the rest of Soul Society.

"How did that demon get in, in the first place?" he asked, only now realizing that he should have thought of that before. He was a lot brighter than most people tended to give him credit for, but even he was aware that he tended to live in the moment, and left the theories to other people. His job was to fight, and he excelled at it.

"They aren't sure," Renji admitted, reluctantly. "Although before now, there were no safeguards against demons in Soul Society, either. We were only worried about Hollow. Demons and angels tend to muck about with humans, but the shinigami are considered a neutral party, so they leave us be. I don't know what this one was thinking, or even if he was the only one."

Ichigo froze, turning his head to give Renji a hard glare. "Are you telling me that there might be _more_ of those things possessing shinigami that we don't know about?" he demanded, and Renji flinched, shaking his head.

"No. Once we knew what we were looking for, Captain Kurotsuchi started testing all shinigami for demonic possession," he hurriedly reassured the murderous teenager. "But we aren't sure about the other souls in Rukongai and other areas outside of Sereitei. There are just too many people to check them all. It would take years, and from what we're guessing, the demons can transfer from person to person, so even if we check somebody, they might be possessed later, and we'd miss it."

Ichigo sighed, pissed but able to see where Renji was coming from. "What do they suspect?" he asked, knowing that there was more.

Renji frowned, but answered his question. "They're guessing that the demon was a scout of sorts, and that he took possession to see how easy it would be. They also believe that the demons have no interest in the souls that aren't strong enough to become shinigami," he added, hoping to smooth over the bad news. Ichigo just scowled at him, not allowing himself to be consoled.

The two friends fell silent again, turning away from the water and heading home. School would be out in a few minutes, and then things would get noisy again, when everybody arrived at home. No doubt Rukia would also stop by, wanting to know that Ichigo hadn't done anything he wasn't supposed to. The only reason that he had his pendant still was because Renji had convinced her that leaving Ichigo helpless to shift in case of an emergency was not going to help him heal.

Seeing Ichigo, unconscious on the bed, bandages covering the majority of his body, Rukia had reluctantly agreed, but only on the condition that Renji keep an eye on the smaller teenager and ensure that he didn't do anything "stupid or reckless," as she had phrased it. The redhead had agreed without hesitation, and so Ichigo was allowed to keep the pendant.

Unlocking the front door, Ichigo and Renji slipped inside and headed for Ichigo's room. Upon entering, they were surprised to see only Kon in the room. Perhaps Rukia was out chasing a Hollow?

Glancing down, Ichigo stared at Kon, and he smiled. The poor modified soul had been feeling so downcast since he realized that he hadn't really helped Ichigo at all, and that his friend had been hurt badly in the meantime. Ichigo didn't think it would take much effort to convince him to do something for him, and then perhaps Kon would realize that Ichigo really didn't hold anything against him.

"Hey, Kon. Will you buy Renji and me some time?" he demanded cheerfully, grinning broadly when he was met with two suspicious glares. "What? I've been restricted from fighting Hollow. Nobody ever said I couldn't change into a shinigami to spar and get some practice in."

He could see the hesitation on both their faces, and he sighed, deciding to be honest. "Look. I can't take this anymore. Either I'm no longer needed by the shinigami and will be forced to remain human the rest of my life, or I'm still a substitute shinigami and am to be treated like one. I'm not broken, I'm not fragile, and I'm not helpless!" he snarled, angry now, although his anger wasn't directed at anyone in particular. It was more generalized; couldn't the other shinigami trust him? Was he really that unreliable now?

A small sound behind him, and Renji spoke up. "He's got a point there. Just because he was caught and hurt doesn't make him useless. His injuries are healed, and he's not flipping out on us. He should at least be granted the freedom that his shinigami form gives him." Ichigo smiled at him gratefully, and got a small smile in return.

Kon sighed. "All right. I'll buy you guys a little bit of time, but you know as well as I do that Rukia will know it's me as soon as she arrives. The best I can do is to tell her that I don't know where you two went," he offered.

Ichigo nodded; that was all he could ask for. "Thanks, Kon!" he cheered, excited and eager now. Quickly, he pulled Kon out of the stuffed lion and swallowed the small pearl, which shot him out of his body, full dressed in his shinigami outfit.

Renji shed his gigai as well, and then the two of them were off, pulling their reiatsu tightly to their bodies. It would do neither of them any good to announce their location to the whole town. Turning right, Ichigo took off, exhilarating in the feel of the wind as his feet flashed from roof to roof, carrying him wherever they felt like going. With no particular destination in mind, Ichigo just enjoyed his momentary freedom, his ever present watchdog hot on his heels.

Maybe later, Ichigo would be able to convince Renji to spar with him. But for now, he grinned, kicking up his speed a notch, he'd just enjoy the freedom he had been granted.


	8. Chapter 8

Several hours later, pleasantly exhausted, Ichigo and Renji returned to the house. They had run and run and run, until Ichigo had tired of running and called Zangetsu out. After that, they had sparred, Renji not holding anything back except his bankai, and that was only because they couldn't risk destroying any of the nearby towns or otherwise drawing attention to themselves. Ichigo had enjoyed himself, because honestly, taking on a vice-captain shinigami was more challenging than any of the Hollows that were stupid enough, and unlucky enough, to stumble across Karakura Town.

Both men had take their fair share of hits, but neither had given in until long after dusk had fallen. When the moon appeared high in the sky, Ichigo and Renji had conceded to a draw, and decided that they had best return. Rukia hadn't come after them, nor had any of the others, so they supposed that Rukia had decided to leave them to their own devices for now. After all, it's not like Kon would be able to lie to his nee-san, anyhow, so she no doubt knew what had happened almost as soon as she had walked in the door.

Ichigo's father was bouncing around the kitchen, lamenting on his only son's antisocial behavior, while Yuzu was trying to prepare dinner and Karin was sitting on the couch, listening to music and ignoring her over-exuberant father. Ichigo just rolled his eyes, ignoring the amused chuckle behind, and turned for the stairs. It was time to take his body back.

Sighing, Ichigo opened the door, braced for an immediate attack. When none was forthcoming, Ichigo opened his eyes, only to find himself staring at an empty room. Kon was gone, and with it, so was his body. The window was open, the breeze blowing gently through the room and bringing with it the scent of impending rain.

Ichigo growled, furious with Kon. How dare he disappear on them like that! When he found out where that little punk had run off to, he was gonna thrash him – right after removing him from Ichigo's body, of course.

A quick step, and he was back out the window, Renji hot on his heels. Concentrating, Ichigo sought out the distinct reiatsu of a modified soul. Renji stood next to him, waiting silently while Ichigo sorted things out. Finding the slender green trail that was a combination of both his and Kon's reiatsu, Ichigo turned left, heading the opposite direction from where he and Renji had sparred earlier.

As he moved, Ichigo sensed the Hollow, several of them, all circled around the green trail, and he rolled his eyes. Kon had run away, again, rather than take on the Hollow. At the very least, though, he had left the house, thereby leading their enemies away from his father and sisters. Maybe he wouldn't kick his ass.

Pulling Zangetsu from his back, Ichigo felt Renji drawing Zabimaru as well, the blade already whipping out in front of them and taking out the first line of Hollow in their sight. Grinning, Ichigo swung Zangetsu as well. "Getsuga Tenshou!" he cried, watching in pleasure as his power leapt freely through his body, lashing out at the Hollow that stood in his path.

As they ran, Ichigo watched a large canine Hollow crash to the ground, kicked by Kon, who was leaping around with his usual energy, taking down as many as he could and holding his own. Grinning manically, Ichigo charged right into their mist, his zanpakuto flashing, Hollow falling with every swipe. He didn't know why there were so many Hollow in one place, but he wasn't complaining, although he did wonder vaguely where the others were. After all, weren't the other shinigami there to fight the Hollow so Ichigo didn't have to?

Zabimaru howled all around him, curving wickedly as it sliced apart their enemies, Renji as confident and battle-ready as ever. Back to back, the two men quickly decimated their enemies, Kon darting in and out among the deadly weapons, taking on several of the smaller Hollow, leaving the larger ones for the shinigami and their zanpakuto.

Ichigo laughed with exhilaration. They might not be strong, but they were plentiful. "What did you do to attract this many Hollow?" he yelled in Kon's direction, taking apart yet another enemy.

The modified soul delivered a kick to the throat of a nearby Hollow and retorted, "It's not me they came for. After all, this is your body, remember!" Ichigo grinned, knowing that Kon was right. Once again, his presence had attracted hordes of Hollow. And while he normally wouldn't want these guys anywhere near his hometown, tonight he welcomed the fight.

Not even ten minutes later, the entire group of Hollow had been decimated, without a single Cero fired. Ichigo stood in the center of the battleground, his breathing calm and steady. He hadn't even broken a sweat. In fact, it had felt very good to fight, helping him to get rid of the excess energy that hadn't really left him since he had been banned from hunting Hollows. Even sparring with Renji hadn't gotten rid of that integral part of him that urged him to fight the enemy. And it felt good to be the stronger one again.

Beside him, Renji chuckled, Zabimaru slung casually over his shoulder. "Man, that felt good," he grinned, his eyes lit with a reckless delight that hadn't been there since his possession. Ichigo was very happy to see it.

Black eyes met brown, and Ichigo blinked, certain that he had seen something new in Renji's eyes, a different type of thrill than fighting could provide. Renji's eyes had darkened a fraction, and Ichigo found his breath catching in his throat.

A second later, and the moment was broken, Renji turning to find Kon so they could interrogate him and find out where, exactly, Rukia and Madarame had disappeared to. Ichigo sighed. There would be time for questions and talking later. For now, it was late, and they best return home for the night. After all, Ichigo grimaced, he still had school the next morning, and was no doubt in for a scolding later.

A suddenly erratic flare of reiatsu, and Ichigo sighed; it looked like he was facing an all-nighter, because Rukia didn't usually flare out like that unless she was in serious trouble. Renji had felt it too, and had already bolted, leaving Ichigo and Kon behind. "Go back home and sleep," Ichigo ordered Kon, not bothering to wait around for a reply. Kon would do as he had been told, and hopefully, Ichigo's family would be none the wiser.

Following Renji's reiatsu, since Rukia's had disappeared, Ichigo kicked up his pace. He didn't feel any Hollow in the area, but that didn't really mean anything, other than that Rukia had come across some danger that could either hide its presence, or that wasn't a Hollow. Speaking of danger, where was Madarame at a time like this? Ichigo couldn't sense the third seat's reiatsu anywhere, and it left him with an uneasy feeling. Had he been taken first, as the more dangerous of the two? Or had Madarame and Rukia gotten separated along the way?

His worry growing as he continued to feel nothing from Rukia, Ichigo sped along the rooftops, racing to his friend's rescue. Renji wasn't much further ahead of him when he stopped suddenly. Ichigo slowed as he approached the area, sensing that the other shinigami was not currently in the middle of battle, which meant one of two things. Either he had lost the trail, or he was too late.

Dropping down to the ground, Ichigo stared around himself, stunned at the number of unconscious bodies lying on the ground, many of them wrapped in ice and snow, the remnants of Rukia's shinigami powers. Scattered among them were several broken black gems, which confused Ichigo. Renji, however, seemed to know exactly what they were, as the blood drained from his face, his eyes wide and frightened. "Demons," he rasped, and Ichigo shuddered, looking at the scene in front of him that now had a whole new meaning.

"The black gems are…?" he spoke softly, almost as if afraid to disturb the shattered stones. Renji just nodded, and Ichigo shivered again. "And Rukia? Madarame?" he asked, pushing now. His partner just shook his head, at a loss.

"Gone," was all he said, and Ichigo saw red. It hadn't been enough to possess Renji and capture and torture Ichigo? There were demons going after all of his friends now? This was not going to happen, Ichigo vowed. He would destroy every last demon if that's what it took. In the meantime, though, he had other matters to attend to.

"We need to notify Sereitei," he growled, snapping Renji out of his shock. "And make sure Inoue and the others are safe," he continued, priorities snapping abruptly into focus. They had an enemy, and it was time to fight. Ichigo's senses were now on high alert, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

"How can you tell if someone's possessed by a demon?" Ichigo wondered out loud. "I mean, obviously these guys were, but how did they know? Or wasn't it obvious until after they attacked Rukia and she fought?"

Renji just shook his head again, already working on sending a Hell Butterfly to Sereitei with his message and a request for aid. There were too many questions, too many unknowns. Ichigo was vibrating with tension, waiting impatiently for Renji to finish sending his message so he could go check on his friends.

Once the message was sent, Ichigo took off, feeling Renji close on his heels. They'd check in with Ishida, Orihime, and Chad, and warn them to be careful, and then they'd start hunting for Rukia and Madarame. Eager now that he had a plan, however reckless and haphazard it might be, Ichigo moved with a vengeance.

His first stop was Orihime's home, since she lived closest. Skidding to a stop on the roof, Ichigo checked the area first, and then dropped down and tapped on her window before letting himself in. Orihime always left her window unlocked, despite Ichigo having yelled at her for it several times before.

Slipping inside, Ichigo found Orihime already waiting for him, having no doubt sensed his reiatsu as he approached. Her eyes were wide, and Ichigo realized with a pang that she already knew something was amiss. The girl was naïve, but wasn't completely oblivious. Like Ichigo, she knew a lot more than she ever let on.

"Demons are in the area, possessing humans." His words were blunt and to the point, because Ichigo had neither the time nor the patience to beat around the bush. "Call Chad and Ishida, and then lock the windows. Don't let anybody in until I give the okay, got it? No one!" he demanded, waiting just long enough for Orihime to nod before he was back out the door, ready to hunt for Rukia.

He didn't have to move very far. Another flare of reiatsu, and both shinigami turned towards it, heading for Rukia's presence. Again, when they arrived, Rukia was gone. There were no bodies scattered around this time, though. Instead, there was a single note, pinned to the ground with Rukia's zanpakuto.

Renji reached the note first and pulled Sode no Shirayuki free. Silently, he skimmed over the note, his mouth twisting into a scowl. His eyes furious, he crumbled the letter and knelt on the ground, searching for clues; or pretending too, Ichigo thought grumpily.

"What did the note say?" he demanded, irritated that Renji hadn't let him see it. The redhead shinigami just shook his head, refusing to answer, and Ichigo narrowed his eyes, pretty sure he knew what it had said. "A trade?" he guessed. "Me for Rukia?"

Renji chuckled and glanced up at him. "Not exactly," he drawled wryly. "Actually, they want a 2-for-2 trade. You and I for Rukia and Madarame." He shrugged. "Personally, I think Madarame can fend for himself." He made no mention of Rukia, and Ichigo noticed.

"What did the rest of the note say?" Ichigo asked. "If it was just a simple demand, you would have let me read it." Renji didn't answer, but his lips tightened, telling Ichigo plainly that it was bad. Left in the dark, Ichigo growled. "Well?" he demanded impatiently, irritation and anger warring with the fear he could feel threatening to consume him.

"I wonder who we killed?" he asked, keeping his voice light. Judging by the dark look Renji gave him, he hadn't succeeded. Staring straight at Renji, he asked, "Well? What do we do now? Wait for backup and hope they aren't killed in the meantime? Take them on ourselves, if we can find them? Or give ourselves up, and hope that the other shinigami can rescue _us_ then?" Because as far as he could tell, those were the only three option.

Renji stood, dusting himself off before looking up and meeting Ichigo's eyes head-on. "The demons won't wait long enough for help to arrive," he admitted. "They've given us exactly one hour. Half of which is left now."

Ichigo's eyes darkened with rage, and he darted forward, dragging Renji up by the front of his kimono and shaking him roughly. "Why didn't you tell me that first?" he roared, anger and fear and anxiety all warring inside of him. His reiatsu roared around them, and inside, Hichigo moved towards the front, ready to fight whatever enemy had garnered Ichigo's wrath.

Renji grabbed his wrist and squeezed, but didn't try to break his grip. "Because I don't want to see you hurt again!" he snapped back, glaring viciously at Ichigo, his emotions plain to see. Renji was afraid to; afraid of being possessed again, and afraid of hurting Ichigo again.

The rage left Ichigo just as soon as it had come upon him, and he slumped, his legs giving out as he slipped to the ground, Renji following him down. Bowing his head, he apologized, "I'm sorry. I know you care about her, too. But we can't just sit by and do nothing, and hope that the demons are bluffing, or that Rukia and Madarame will escape."

Renji nodded. "I know. Then, I suppose that only leaves us with one alternative. Although I hate surrendering, especially when it's blackmail." Ichigo agreed wholeheartedly, but what else were they supposed to do.

Apparently, the demons had been waiting for them to make a decision, because a whole group of humans slipped from the shadows, no doubt having been waiting nearby. Two huge burly men were holding onto their friends, who were both unconscious. For several seconds, the demons and shinigami just stared silently at one another, waiting.

"We'll release the girl once we have one of you," a petite, slender man spoke, stepping out from the shadows. His face was heart-shaped and soft, surrounded by a long fall of auburn hair, but his eyes were black and cold as they stared at him, glinting cruelly.

Ichigo swallowed and took a step forward, until an arm blocked his path. Renji spoke, still not facing him. "If they are lying, you'll need to save us all," he said, his eyes determined and wary. The leader of the demons just smiled, waiting patiently.

Ichigo nodded his assent, even though it chafed at him to have to stand back. After all, he'd be following his friend in just a moment. Renji moved forward, and another burly demon stepped up, cocked his fist, and punched Renji across the jaw. The shinigami didn't bother to dodge the blow, and was knocked unconscious almost immediately, slumping towards the ground before the demon grabbed him.

With that, the demon holding Rukia set her down in the middle of the circle. Ichigo, wary now, demanded, "Release Madarame and let them go, and I'll come to you." The demons turned to look at the slender man standing in their midst, who watch watching Ichigo, calculating. He gave a sharp nod, and the second muscled demon set Madarame down.

Moving forward, Ichigo stopped in front of the two unconscious demons. Setting Sode no Shirayuki in Rukia's hands, Ichigo turned to Madarame. Raising his hand, Ichigo proceeded to strike the man across the face, slapping him until he groaned and swung outwards at whatever asshole was bothering him.

Ichigo dodged easily, and stood up, watching as the groggy 11th division shinigami processed his surroundings. When he was certain that Madarame understood, he spoke. "Take Rukia and get her away from here, as far as possible. Better yet, take her back to Sereitei with you."

Madarame, in the meantime, had been staring around himself with a scowl on his face. At Ichigo's orders, he looked up at the teenager, and Ichigo saw in his eyes that he knew exactly what was happening. But Madarame wasn't a Third Seat for nothing, so he just nodded, standing on shaky legs and scooping Rukia into his arms.

A moment later, a portal slid open, and Madarame slipped through with Rukia. Ichigo waited until the doors slid shut, and then he sheathed Zangetsu, sending a quick apology to both the old man and Hichigo. Another demon sauntered up to him, and Ichigo turned away from him, staring at the slender man instead. His eyes darkened with anger, fear, and a silent promise. He would see them dead; every last one of them.

That was his last thought before pain exploded across his head and he lost consciousness, unaware of being caught by the demon who had struck him, and completely clueless as to their intended destination. Once more, Ichigo and Renji found themselves at the mercy of demons.


	9. Chapter 9

Ichigo groaned as he awoke, his head throbbing. Did the demon really have to punch him out? Couldn't he have just drugged him or something? Ugh!

Once again immobilized, Ichigo realized that he was far more comfortable this time, and that he had a companion. Renji lay next to him on the huge bed, their arms and legs shackled to their respective posts. '_At least my legs are closed this time_,' Ichigo thought darkly, not amused in the least.

A chuckle to his left, and Ichigo transferred his glare to the cold, handsome man standing against the wall. "I'm glad to see that you're awake, although I'm sure you'd probably rather not be," he grinned, obviously amused. Ichigo just scowled at him and kept his mouth shut. "I do hope the trip wasn't too rough, be we didn't want to risk your friends returning with backup, so we removed ourselves from Karakura Town. You should feel honored, as you and your companion there are the first shinigami to ever step foot into our home," the demon taunted, and Ichigo snorted. He should feel honored. Riiiiiight.

"I'm sure you're wondering why you're here," the demon murmured, smiling at him wickedly. Ichigo kept his mouth shut; he didn't really care why he was here, only that he was, but he figured that saying so might get him or Renji hurt, or possessed.

The demon moved so that he was sitting on the bed next to Ichigo, who tried to restrain his shudder at the unwelcome presence of the demon. The man just smirked at him, and made no effort to move away. "Demons are rather unique, in that they possess both individual minds, and a pack mind. The pack mind is used to share things such as the locations of bountiful feeding grounds, or battle tactics. It's part of the reason that we adapt to battle so quickly, even against an unknown opponent. For every demon that's struck down, thousands of other demons learn the enemy's strategy and abilities."

"And yet, for all that, we're allowed to think and act on our own as well. So the scout that hunted your friend here, and then came for you, was acting individually, rather than on the king's orders. And the rest of us really have no interest in you beyond the fact that you're human, shinigami, and Hollow, all at once. Your powers are really quite impressive," the demon complimented, and Ichigo growled.

"Normally, I'd be flattered, but that didn't exactly sound like a compliment," he muttered sarcastically. The demon just threw his head back and laughed. "Besides, why are you still possessing a human?" Ichigo wondered, the thought just occurring to him. This demon didn't seem interested in hurting him, yet, so he figured he might as well try and get some answers.

The demon smiled down at him. "This is just the body of a human who lost his soul to me," the demon replied candidly. "All of our bodies are, actually. The scout was rather unique in that he possessed a shinigami he didn't have a contract with."

Ichigo filed the information away for later, and asked the next question. "Okay, I understand why you want me, sort of. The other guy came after me for pretty much the same reason. But why did you take this guy, too?" he asked, indicating the unconscious shinigami beside him.

The demon smiled, his handsome face softening under the expression, though his eyes remained cold and calculating. "He's just insurance. We wanted to make sure that you have the incentive to…give us what we want. If you fight, he'll pay for it. We're well aware that possessing him and hurting you won't work, because you'll fight if it's only your own life that's in danger. And since we don't plan on collaring you, we need to make sure that you won't do anything…reckless," he finished, leering at Ichigo, who scowled back up at him.

"If you think I'm not gonna fight just because you have Renji, you're going to be surprised," he warned, his words spoken in a low snarl. The demon just laughed at him, the sound loud in the room, and Renji jerked beside Ichigo, his eyes snapping open as he surged upwards, only to wrench his shoulder when the chains restricted the movement.

Irritated eyes flicked over to the side, and Ichigo grinned to himself. It looked like he wasn't the only one who had something to say about the hospitality of their hosts. "Do you normally treat guests like this?" he asked wryly, obviously keeping the more sarcastic comments to himself, which was a smart move, because Ichigo didn't think that the demon would hesitate to strike the redhead. After all, he had said that he only needed Renji for insurance, which meant that he was more or less expendable to these guys.

"We don't normally have guests," the demon admitted. "But we thought we'd make an exception for such an unusual creature as your companion here." Standing, the demon headed for the door. "I'll be back shortly, and then we can begin," he tossed back over his shoulder. Closing the door behind them, silence fell in the room as the two men regarded each other warily.

Renji spoke first. "Begin what?" he asked, curiosity and worry coloring his tone. "Obviously I missed something before I woke up."

Ichigo sighed, dropping his head back onto the pillow. "I don't know," he admitted quietly. "Whatever it is, though, it's not going to be fun. They're fascinated by the fact that I can be both a substitute shinigami and a Hollow, and still be human. You, on the other hand," he continued, his voice a little bitter even though he tried to remain neutral, "are only here as _insurance_, to make sure I don't try to run or fight."

"Or take your own life," Renji spoke up, and Ichigo froze, his head snapping back around to stare at Renji, who was glaring at him. "What? Don't tell me it hadn't occurred to you."

Shaking his head and frowning, Ichigo said, "No, it actually hadn't occurred to me to try and take my own life to keep them from whatever it is that they want." And it really hadn't, at least not in regards to sparing himself the impending torture sessions. If he attempted to take his own life, it would only be because there was no other choice, and no chance of freedom. But as long as he could fight, he would do so, consequences be damned.

Chuckling, Renji gave him an admiring glance. "It really hadn't occurred to you, had it?" Ichigo just shook his head, and Renji smiled. "Of course not. You and I are too much alike. I remember Rukongai, running around with Rukia and the other children, before I joined the shinigami in Sereitei. I was just a scrawny little runt, young and tough and quick. It wasn't easy, when there was no adult to fend for us, and we had to steal to survive. Sometimes, we'd get caught, and then we'd be beaten for stealing. It never did stop us, though."

Ichigo listened quietly, waiting to see if Renji would continue, but it seemed that he didn't intend to saying anything else. He probably hadn't even meant to tell Ichigo that much. While the teenager had seen the tougher areas of the outskirts of Soul Society, he hadn't really wondered what it would be like for young children to live there, with a parental figure to provide the basic necessities for them, or to protect them. The children had relied solely on their cleverness, their skill, and their numbers, forming gangs just to have somebody at their back.

"Well," Ichigo said when it became obvious that Renji wasn't going to talk anymore, "I don't really want to give these guys whatever it is that they're after, but they've already warned me that they'll take my disobedience out on you. What do you want me to do?" He figured it was only fair to ask, because Renji was probably going to be hurt either way, but it would Ichigo's fault if he fought the demons' orders, and he knew that the guilt would probably haunt him for a long time after they got out here, because Ichigo had no doubt that they _would_ get out of here, no matter what it took.

Renji snorted. "Don't take it easy on them on my account," he muttered, and Ichigo grinned wickedly. Those demons had asked for a fight when they took Renji along with him, instead of Rukia or one of his human friends. Renji would understand why he couldn't just give up and let the demons win. He understood pride and that part, deep down inside, that wouldn't let him go down without a fight, regardless of any retribution that might follow.

"Now that that's settled," Ichigo spoke again, his eyes grateful, "what do you say to getting some shuteye? I don't know when they'll be back, but we can't really go anywhere right now, so we might as well rest up a bit."

Renji nodded his agreement, and the two men settled down, trying to get comfortable with their arms stretched above their heads, and their feet pulled straight towards the foot of the bed. The shackles would no doubt chafe if they moved around too much, so they tried to adjust without yanking on the chains more than necessary.

Once they were as comfortable as they were going to be, they remained staring up at the ceiling. Ichigo didn't know about Renji, but he was frightened. He didn't know what these demons wanted, and he didn't know what would happen if he resisted. Oh, he would resist, because he couldn't just _not_ resist, or he'd never be able to look his friends or the other shinigami in the eyes again.

And so he would fight. He just hoped, and prayed, that help would arrive quickly, in whatever form. Whether by breaking out, or being rescued, Ichigo would take it. And then, he'd do whatever it took to make sure that the demons never came after him or his friends again.


	10. Chapter 10

It was only three hours later when the demons came for them; the lithe leader and four heavily muscled demons. It was just as well, because as soon as they released the cuffs on Ichigo's wrists and ankles from the bedposts, he started fighting. Ducking under one of the burly demon's arms, he dashed to the corner of the room, where Zangetsu had been laid after they had taken it from him.

Two of the demons fell under the first attack, but the third one used his arm to block the worst of the damage, losing it but keeping his life, while their leader cast some sort of demonic spell that paralyzed Ichigo from the shoulders down. Snarling as his zanpakuto fell from nerveless fingers, Ichigo watched in impotent fury as the fourth demon racked claws down Renji's chest, digging deep enough to remove four strips of skin and make Renji cry out, trying to move even though there was no room to give.

"Now, now, there's no need to kill him," the slender demon stopped his underling with a cold smile, and then turned those sharp eyes to Ichigo. "I would suggest that you refrain from doing anything else that foolish. Once you've given us what we want, we'll let you go. Both of you," he clarified. "But if you continue to fight us, then I'm afraid that neither of you will make it out of here alive."

His eyes were deadly serious, and Ichigo scowled, but relaxed his body in the spell, bowing his head slightly in acknowledgment of the threat. Renji, having recovered from the surprise and initial pain of the sudden attack, was busy snarling imprecations at the demons in the room, and Ichigo listened with mild amusement. It seemed like he had learned quite a lot during his younger years in Rukongai.

The demons themselves, however, were not amused, and with a snap of his fingers, Renji was gagged, his voice muffled behind the thick cloth, his eyes still pissed. Ichigo was released from the spell with a pointed warning to not go for Zangetsu, and then he was led from the room, a different chain put on the shackles that allowed the demons to pull him wherever they pleased, as if they were using a leash.

Snorting, Ichigo wondered if they realized that they were trying to leash two wild dogs. Perhaps they didn't know how the scout had been defeated, even with the pack mind? After all, he certainly hadn't been defeated by an external source, but rather by a Hollow and the shinigami whose body he had hijacked.

Behind him, two more demons had appeared, releasing Renji and dragging him to his feet, snapping the chain onto his wrist cuffs and following Ichigo's guards. Behind them, two glowing stones floated in mid-air, a black mist swirling around them, and Ichigo stopped where he was and stared. _That_ was a demon's true form? I mean, sure, he had seen the shattered stones by the human bodies back in his hometown, but he hadn't realized that those were the actual _demons_.

Which meant, Ichigo thought in disgust, that he had missed killing the demons, and only destroyed their host bodies. Great.

A sharp tug, and Ichigo stumbled forward, scowling at the heavy-set demon that had yanked on the chain. The demon just smiled, baring his teeth, and Ichigo growled back. These guys were seriously starting to piss him off, and he still didn't know what they wanted from him, which was worrying.

They moved down several twisting hallways, so many that Ichigo was sure he'd get lost if he ever tried to escape this way on his own. Which, Ichigo realized, was no doubt what the demons had intended. As they moved further down the corridors, and closer to their destination, a feeling of unease began to creep up Ichigo's spine, and he shifted restlessly, his feet slowing without thought. A chuckle and a sharp yank, and he was dragged forward, the demon holding the chain picking up his pace just to spite the shinigami.

Demons and prisoners approached a huge wooden door, decorated with horrible images of demons torturing the humans that tried to flee from underneath of them. Ichigo shuddered, the images bringing back memories that he would have rather forgotten entirely.

The doors opened of their own accord, and the two shinigami were dragged into a gladiator's hall. That was the best description Ichigo could give. The central part of the room was a wide space, with no furniture except for a simple throne sitting on top of a dais at the very back of the room. But up higher, there were rows of rows of seats lining the perimeter, and every last one of them was full of demons in human guise, the whole lot of them clamoring to get a look at the two shinigami men.

Around them floated more of those black gems, for those demons who had no body to possess, or simply chose to forgo them in order to have a spot. Ichigo wondered how they could see and hear, possessing no eyes or ears, but then realized that it really didn't matter, and his thoughts were scattering. Whatever they wanted from him, they had brought an audience to witness it. Shit.

They were brought to a stop in front of the dais, and Ichigo scowled, wondering if they were going to try and make him kneel, too. He soon realized that there was no need to make him do anything when a wash of power crushed him, bowing his knees as it caught him completely by surprise. The other demons were already on their knees, so they remained below the flux of power.

With a grunt, Ichigo's knees hit the stone floor and he winced. That would probably bruise. With an effort, he raised his head towards the throne, determined to see the lord of these demons.

What he saw surprised him. Apparently, their lord and king was a lady. A very, very, powerful lady, Ichigo amended abruptly. Her face was pale, and as smooth as glass. Her eyes had probably once been a friendly, deep blue, but time and age had lightened them, so that her eyes shone cold and cruel like frozen icicles.

Her body was slightly taller than an average woman's, reaching just under six feet, and her dark hair flowed down her back, coming to rest just below the small of her back. Her dress was a brilliant white, offsetting her hair and eyes, and contrasting sharply with the ruby teardrop that rested atop her breasts.

Ichigo would have made a sarcastic comment about a blood-stained white dress if he had been able to talk around the pressure sliding down his throat and cutting off his breath. Damn, but this one was powerful! She reminded him eerily of Kenpachi without his eye patch on, when his power ran rampant and uncontrolled.

Once she was seated, the power around her settled down, and Ichigo could breathe again, but he remained kneeling, seeing no point in making such an obvious act of defiance that would do him no good. While it might soothe his pride a bit, it wouldn't be worth the retribution he'd face for the trouble.

Still, an ungagged Ichigo was a mouthy Ichigo, and he really couldn't help what came out of his mouth next. "Do you do that on purpose? Or do you just not have enough control yet?" he asked impudently. The demon lord just smiled at him, and a flux of power crushed him, pushing him flat to the floor. It slid back down his throat and crushed the breath from him, leaving him gasping. His limbs felt heavy and lethargic, and he wondered if he had pissed her off enough to kill him already.

After several agonizing moments, where Ichigo wondered if he were going to die from asphyxiation, the power leveled off and then lifted from him altogether. Gasping, and gulping in breath after breath, Ichigo remained silent while he waited for his strength to return, aware of the demons watching him and of Renji trying to call his name through the gag that was still in his mouth.

Pushing himself painfully into a sitting position, Ichigo managed to mutter, "I'm fine, Renji. She doesn't want me dead…yet," he added as an afterthought. He got another smile for his trouble.

"No, we do not want you dead…yet," she agreed, and Ichigo noticed that her voice was pleasant, almost soothing. "We want your rather…unique ability to adapt." When Ichigo stared back at her, confused, she smiled. "We do not yet have an…avatar, shall we say? We can possess bodies and reside in them, but we are unable to create bodies of our own."

She met his eyes, and Ichigo swallowed, seeing the calculation in those icy eyes. "You, however, can manage to be human, shinigami, and Hollow all at the same time. And those who are bound to you grow in power. Oh? You didn't notice?" she asked at his frown, obviously amused. "Ask your companion there. I'm certain he's noticed."

With a nod, a demon came forth and removed Renji's gag. The redhead met Ichigo's eyes and frowned, keeping his mouth shut. Ichigo realized that even if the demons knew that those around him got stronger, they didn't know how much. Then again, he hadn't even realized it himself, which was probably for the best. No need to give the demons more ammunition than they already had.

Ichigo filed the information away for later, when he'd probably be pissed and yell at somebody, but for now, it really wasn't important, except in whatever way it pertained to what this demon wanted from him. "So? What does that have to do with anything? Are you going to try and grow stronger by using me? Personally, though, I would think it would work the other way around," he muttered.

The lady laughed at him, the sound not an unpleasant one. Ichigo shivered regardless, wary and on high alert. "It probably would work the other way, if I intended to fight you. After all, you only seem to grow stronger with every fight," she noted. Ichigo scowled; he had been hoping the demon wouldn't catch on to that.

"No, what I want is the exact opposite of what you're thinking. I want to know if you can become a demon," she said, her face utterly serious. Ichigo blinked, not certain he had heard that correctly. Him, _become_ a demon? Was she serious?

Apparently, Renji thought the same thing, because it was his voice that spoke next. "Are you crazy, lady? It's not possible for a human to _become _a demon!"

The demon lord looked at him, pinning him with her gaze, but there was no wash of power this time. "What makes you say that, shinigami? After all, a human became a shinigami by stabbing himself through the heart with a zanpakuto. And then he became a Hollow while trying to increase his power over his zanpakuto, correct? And now, he is both, while he still lives and is human. If he cannot become demon kind, then he should not have been able to become a shinigami either. Logically, it makes no sense, yet he does it, repeatedly."

Renji snarled back, "Yes, but it's been proven that humans become Hollows, and that humans can become shinigami. We've had temporary shinigami before, although it's a highly rare occurrence."

The demon lady smiled at him. "True, but he did not lose the power after a while. Instead, he kept it. Why is that, do you think? Because that shinigami Urahara intervened? Or perhaps simply because Kurosaki Ichigo is that powerful?" She turned her gaze on to him, and Ichigo swallowed. He didn't like where there was heading. How did one become a demon, anyway?

Her smile widened as she found the fear in his eyes that he was trying, and failing, to suppress. "Don't worry. It won't hurt, maybe," she offered, and Ichigo chuckled wryly, not believing a word of it. Still, though, that didn't explain why there were so many demons here, if they were performing an experiment. Wouldn't they want to keep it a secret, in case it didn't work?

As if she was reading his mind, the demon lord answered his questions. "This is hardly an audience," she spoke, and at her words, the demons began to move, leaping from their perches on the balconies. "They're part of the experiment as well. You're going to fight them…without your sword."

Ichigo tensed, his mind refusing to make sense of her words. He was supposed to fight all of these guys? By himself, and without his zanpakuto? What was she thinking? There was no way he was going to play her game.

Suddenly, Renji was thrown at the demon lady's feet, and Ichigo startled, jumping to his feet. Placing one dainty heeled foot on Renji's chest, the demon pushed down, the stiletto heel pushing into one of the claw wounds.

Renji's eyes widened, and he screamed, his hands trying to reach for his chest, and the demon's ankle, but just as Ichigo's chains had adjusted at the demon's will in that abandoned building, they had been altered now, so that the wrists were chained to the ankle cuffs, which were now bolted to the floor. The shinigami couldn't even protect himself.

"Okay, okay!" Ichigo cried, desperate. "I'll kick all their asses for you, if that's what you want. But leave him alone! Don't touch him!"

The demon lord smiled at him, her foot still resting on Renji's chest, precariously close to a second claw mark. "You'll have to fight them regardless, you know. But if it will make you put forth more effort, then I will refrain from harming him. However," she warned, her eyes cold and deadly, "should you fail to produce the results I want, I will start tearing strips off of him. We will see how long he can survive our torture."

Ichigo swallowed, but turned back to face the approaching hoard. Take on these demons, and become one himself. Right. He just hoped that the demon lady knew what she was talking about, because he certainly didn't know how to go about this, and Renji's life was on the line. If it had been torture for the both of them, or if she had asked him to deliver any of his friends, or the shinigami, to her, he would have refused, consequences be damned.

But this…this, he could do. After all, fighting was what he did best. Wasn't it?


	11. Chapter 11

Ichigo was exhausted beyond endurance. He lay with his eyes closed on the unforgiving stone, panting and listening to the muffled whimpers behind him. He hadn't turned into a demon yet, despite the way that they had cut into him, some even going so far as to try and possess him. Without his sword and Getsuga Tenshou, he was losing, and badly. He was afraid to call out his Hollow, because he didn't know what would happen if he did. But Renji was paying the price. The other shinigami was a torn bundle on the dais, the steps of which were now soaked with his blood. Still, he refused to give in, pleading with Ichigo to stop fighting the demons and run. Which Ichigo, of course, could not do, not without Renji. And so he had fought.

He had fought. And he had lost. Badly. Unconscious bodies were scattered all around him, but for every demon he managed to take out, three more were there to take its place. Not to mention the demons that weren't inside a human body, who could slice into him with whip-like tentacles without ever getting close enough for him to break the gems.

"I am very quickly running out of patience," the demon lord spoke from behind him. This was followed by the snap of breaking bones and a hoarse cry, Renji having screamed his throat hoarse several hours ago. "If you are unable to do this, then you will both die," she hissed.

Ichigo shuddered, and moved his arms in front of him, trying to get enough leverage to climb back to his feet. At the beginning, he had tried to get to Renji, clearing a path of demons and then lunging backwards. But every time he had tried, the female's power had lashed across him, throwing him backwards and pinning him to the ground, unable to breathe. And then, while he remained trapped on the floor, they would hurt Renji, who was powerless to defend himself.

Managing to force himself to his knees, Ichigo nearly cried with the effort. He wasn't going to make it much longer, he realized, but he didn't have much choice. They wouldn't let him have Zangetsu, and they were slowly killing his friend. And so he would fight until he collapsed and lost consciousness. And then, no doubt, they would revive him and make him fight some more.

A nudge inside his head made Ichigo pause for a moment, his body stilling. Uncertain, Ichigo glanced at the demon lord, who was staring back at him, one eyebrow raised in an obvious demand. "The Hollow wishes to speak with me," he spoke softly, unsure as to whether telling her the truth was a smart move or not.

She smiled, obviously pleased. "Does he now? Go on, then," she allowed graciously. "But be warned, you only have two minutes. After that, if you're not back up and fighting, we will start back in on your friend, understood?" Ichigo nodded, and then brought himself into his inner world, starting tiredly across a small distance at his other half.

"Let me fight them," he advised, and Ichigo shook his head, refusing immediately. "Ichigo, my king," the Hollow spoke firmly, and Ichigo paused. The Hollow had never spoken to him so seriously. Usually, he was always taunting the other man, one way or another.

"First of all, I will have the zanpakuto with me when I materialize," he pointed out, which was true. After all, both Hichigo and Zangetsu were a part of him, living inside his soul, and the Hollow part of himself had always been able to summon the zanpakuto, regardless of whether or not it was within reach in the room. "Also, Hollows and demons aren't so different. Not siblings, perhaps, but more like cousins. If you're serious about giving that bitch what she wants, then it would be best to let me fight them. Perhaps I can absorb the demonic energy. It will give us more power, and may very well save the life of both yourself and your friend."

Ichigo thought for a moment, taking in his Hollow's words and trying to find the loophole in them. The theory was sound but, "What if she doesn't want you to come out?" he asked. "She might kill Renji if you do."

Hichigo shook his head. "No, she won't kill him if I come out. If anything, she'll be curious and will allow it, wanting to see what happens." He was very sure, and Ichigo frowned, deciding on a compromise.

"How about if I call you out just enough for the mask, and then you can call the shots? But if I don't agree, I'm not going to listen," he warned, scowling at the Hollow. Hichigo just shrugged and agreed. It was fine by him, as long as he got to test out his own theory.

Pulling back, Ichigo noted with relief that either his two minutes weren't up, or the demon lord was curious enough to wait for his return, either of which meant that Renji had been left alone in the meantime.

"Well?" she demanded, not bothering to hide the eagerness in her voice. Ichigo scowled at her in disgust, pushing himself painstakingly to his feet and watching from the corner of his eye as the demon horde approached him, ready to attack as soon as they were within striking distance.

Raising his hand to his face, Ichigo swiped down, calling Hichigo out. "Let's play," he called cheerfully, his voice an odd echo of human and Hollow. His yellow eyes glowed brightly, eagerly anticipating the fight, and his mouth curled up into a wicked grin. Hollow loved to fight, and Hichigo was strong, which meant that he was always seeking stronger opponents. This should be a nice warm-up.

Turning to the closest batch of demons, Hichigo held out his hand, silently summoning Zangetsu. The old man might not like him, but if he could help Ichigo by using the Hollow as a medium, then he was willing enough. Ignoring both the gasp of surprise and the dry, pained chuckle behind him, Hichigo swung the blade. The violently black and red Getsuga Tenshou leapt forward, decimating the demons that were foolish enough to be in its wide path.

Again and again, the blade flickered, and Getsuga Tenshou lashed out, slicing into the demons. But reinforcements were pouring through the door, and Ichigo remembered the pack mind too late. Aware of how wide his attack was, and of how quickly he could move, the demons were learning to dodge.

Another wash of power, and Ichigo dropped to one knee, still clinging to Zangetsu. But it was no good anymore. He couldn't lift the zanpakuto. Hichigo growled in contempt, and Ichigo released the blade, noting that the power fell back immediately. Standing, he rushed at the closest demon, attacking with his fists this time.

Still, the demons had seen him fight in the pack mind, and had no problems finding ways around those attacks as well. So Ichigo relied on his instinct, and allowed Hichigo to reign more freely, restraining only his form, so that he remained mostly human. It would do him no good to lose himself in a Hollow's body.

A Hollow's instinct is very basic. Hunt souls. Those souls with large amounts of spiritual power were more tantalizing, and this place was filled with demonic power, and souls that were very loosely tied to their hosts. There was no chain binding the demons to their human bodies, unlike the chain that bound a human's soul to its body.

His eyes alight with madness, Hichigo held out a hand, calling forth a power that he had never been given the ability to wield before. The Cero shot out, taking out a wide swath of demons and punching a giant hold through the stone wall at the other end of the room. The Cero didn't stop until it had shot far down the corridor, wiping out reinforcements as it went.

With a delighted laugh, Hichigo called for another Cero. But the demons were faster this time, and managed to pin him before he could do so. And so, Hichigo did what was in a Hollow's instinct. He devoured the soul in front him. One of the demons trapping him had done so with tentacles made of mist rather than with an actual body, and so the Hollow bit down hard, severing the tentacle and swallowing the thick mass. It was filled with energy, and Hichigo felt his own host growing stronger.

Grinning, Hichigo used the element of surprise that his sudden attack had afforded him to wrest an arm free and grab the closest unbound demon, ignoring the strikes that lashed against his body in favor of devouring the mist. Still, it wasn't doing what he had hoped, and giving them the strength and power of a demon. Maybe he wasn't eating the right part?

Looking up, Hichigo hardly noticed when the demon lord ordered his attackers to back off, far more interested in the small black gem that glittered in the center of the mist, representing the demon's core. Perhaps that would do the trick, he thought with a wicked smile.

Inside, Ichigo cringed at the thought, but didn't try to stop the Hollow. Hichigo acknowledged his restraint with a quick thought, and then snapped his hand forward, grabbing the stone, and doing his best to ignore the burning sensation as tentacles wrapped around his arm, no doubt trying to break it before he could devour the gem.

Reaching to his right and picking up Zangetsu once more, Hichigo casually swung the sword, slicing off a large part of the demon mist. A screech that nearly made him wince issued forth from the demon, but Hichigo no longer cared. With a quick movement, he crushed the stone in his hands, shattering it and killing the demon. Smiling cruelly, Hichigo raised the crushed jewel to his mouth and swallowed it down, indifferent to the way the sharp edges scraped his throat as they went.

Several moments later, pain tore through Ichigo's body, and the Hollow retreated, hoping that his plan had worked. He would monitor his king from the inner world and would only come out if it was necessary. Which it shouldn't be, he grinned, watching in amusement as Ichigo fought an internal battle with the new power inside him that struggled to break free. After all, Ichigo was his king, and no single demon could defeat him. Not one.


	12. Chapter 12

Ichigo was lost in the darkness, unaware that in reality, he was writhing on the floor, screaming as the power tried to devour him. Just because the demon was dead, that didn't make its power or heritage any less potent. And now, just as he had fought not to become a true Hollow, he fought to not lose himself to this new power. For all he knew, if he became a demon, his body would be destroyed, and he would be doomed to remain a black jewel for the remainder of his life.

In a distant part of his mind, Ichigo was aware of the Hollow's presence, but he didn't have the energy to yell at him, to demand to know just what, exactly, he had been thinking when he had swallowed the broken shards. Didn't Hichigo know better than to swallow a foreign substance, especially one that would cut on the way down?

Shuddering, Ichigo fought with his will alone. Unlike with the Hollow, there was no physical manifestation, at least not yet. It was just an all-consuming power that tried to swallow him whole, and he resisted, pulling all the power of his heritage and his legacies close to his body, using them to shield him from the darkness. Human spiritual ability, shinigami and Hollow reiatsu, all blended together to form a tightly knit shield, each one covering where the others gaped.

Still, the darkness would not surrender, and it pried at his shield, seeking the cracks. And there would be cracks, Ichigo realized. Just as the Hollow had found the breaks in his human and shinigami reiatsu, so too would the demonic power find the holes that even the Hollow was unable to seal.

Sure enough, a few moments later, the black mist found a small series of gaps in his shield, and started pressing in. Ichigo's reiatsu flared, burning away the tendrils, but there were more to replace it, like in the battle with the demons outside, reinforcements always waiting just outside the door for their chance at the shinigami brat.

A thin tendril touched Ichigo's arm, and he winced at the stinging sensation, trying to raise his reiatsu to burn it up. Swallowing hard, he realized that these tendrils acted like the collars, because he found that he could not call his power to him. Oh, it was still there, certainly, but it could not be used to attack his enemies.

Trapped now, Ichigo closed his eyes as more tendrils followed, grabbing here where they could, leaving a sharp stinging sensation where they held him. Unable to use his reiatsu to fight, Ichigo instead focused on Hichigo and Zangetsu in his inner world. If anybody could help him to stay sane, it would be the other two parts of his soul.

Both Hollow and zanpakuto were waiting for him, and he stared at them silently, his eyes pleading. Zangetsu was the first to move, coming to stand in front of Ichigo and kneeling in front of him. "This is nothing but another challenge, Ichigo. You will survive it, as you have survived all other challenges." His unwavering loyalty and faith helped to steady Ichigo, and he turned to Hichigo.

Grinning, the Hollow came to him as well. "The demons wanted you to become one of them, so why not use their own power against them? You want to escape here, don't you? This will give you the power to do so," he laughed, his eyes glowing eagerly.

Ichigo scowled at him, but didn't have time to make a sarcastic reply, because he was being pulled away from the inner world. Looked like there was something going on outside, because normally, he wouldn't leave his inner world until he was ready, unless something outside of himself was forcing the issue.

With a shudder, Ichigo was suddenly aware of his body again. The burning from the tendrils had stopped altogether, but the brown-eyed shinigami could feel the roiling power within him. Once again, he'd have to learn to control his own strength. A few buildings might be destroyed in the meantime, he thought idly.

Voices sounded around him, along with the cries of battle, and Ichigo realized that the shinigami had found them. How they had managed to locate them, and then travel into the demons' home, he didn't know, and didn't really care, to be honest. All that mattered was that they were there now, and that he and Renji were safe.

"Grab them both! We need to get them to the Fourth Division, now!" a young voice snapped, and Ichigo grinned; it looked like Hitsugaya was one of their rescuers. A moment later, he groaned as he was lifted and thrown over somebody's shoulder, the sudden movement jarring his battered body.

A quick apology and they were off, running through the battle and heading for the exit. Cracking open his eyes, Ichigo saw Renji, being carried by another unknown shinigami, Byakuya covering their retreat, and he sighed. It looked like they were both safe. With that knowledge, he allowed himself to drift off into unconsciousness, not aware of the end of the battle, or of the demon lord's triumphant cries as the shinigami retreated with their comrades. She had gotten what she wanted, after all.

~*~*~*~

Ichigo groaned, his eyes fluttering beneath his lashes, and then stilled as somebody approached his bed. "Ichigo-san?" the voice murmured, and the teenager smiled faintly, recognizing Hanatarou's voice. He really was in the Fourth Division's healing barracks.

"Yeah," he muttered, his voice dry, keeping his eyes closed. He felt uneasy about opening them, and he had learned a long time ago to listen to his instincts, even if they seemed a little bit ridiculous.

"Can you open your eyes?" the Healer asked softly, and Ichigo just shook his head. A sigh, and a straw was held up to his mouth, his head and shoulders carefully lifted so that he could swallow without choking. While he drank, Hanatarou filled him in, and explained why he felt so horrible, even though he hadn't been the one who was tortured. "When we found you, you had done some serious damage, both to yourself and to those around you. Several of them appeared to be holding you down, and from the looks of some of your bruises, you had been fighting for quite some time even before that."

Oh, yeah. That's right. He had fought the never ending hoard of demons to try and protect Renji. Give the demonic bitch what she wanted, and Renji would be kept alive. Maybe. Ichigo's lips curled back in a silent snarl; he had been given no reason to trust the demon lord, and wouldn't have given her what she wanted if it hadn't involved fighting for his and Renji's life. Not to mention Hichigo's interference. Ichigo was never, ever allowing the Hollow to have free reign again. He was too unpredictable.

Turning his head in Hanatarou's direction, he rasped, "Renji?" He was worried about the other man. They might have both been rescued, but even Ichigo knew that the redhead shinigami was worse off than he was.

"Captain Unohana is taking care of him. He'll be fine," the meek shinigami assured Ichigo, and he found himself sighing in relief. As long as Renji was okay, and he was okay, everything would be fine.

"And the demons?" he asked. The second most important question, he thought wryly. He felt a frustrated movement from his caretaker, and then a pause as he realized that Ichigo still hadn't opened his eyes, and therefore couldn't see him shaking his head.

Hanatarou sighed. "Commander Yamamoto-Genryusai was working on negotiations. I don't know all the details, but apparently, they got something that they wanted, and are now amenable to striking a deal." Ichigo snorted, pissed. Of course they got what they wanted. He had absorbed the power of a demon, hadn't he? The consequences of such an action were still unknown, and that worried him.

"Take me to Renji," he demanded, sitting up. He didn't know why, but he had this sudden urge to see the vice captain, to make sure that he was okay. When Hanatarou made no moves to help him, Ichigo swung his feet out of the bed, his eyes still closed.

That snapped the surprised Healer into action. "Wait!" he implored. "You're still healing, and Renji-san needs medical attention, too. He's not allowed to have any visitors!" He tried to grab Ichigo, but the teenager shook him off, heading for the doorway, his eyes still closed. He had to find Renji first.

He felt Hanatarou come up behind him, and stopped in his tracks so quickly that the smaller boy almost ran into him. Turning, he said, "Look, Hanatarou. You can either help me get to Renji _now_, or you need to stay out of my way." He waited impatiently for Hanatarou to make up his mind.

A swallow, and then small hands were sliding around his waist, Hanatarou sliding under his arm so that he could guide and support Ichigo. Slowly, they made their way out the door and headed down a hallway to their right. They made their way out of the lesser healing houses for minor injuries and into the critical care unit. Ichigo cringed at the scents and sounds around him, aware of the stares being directed his way.

Finally, they turned left and entered a doorway into a room, the only sound that one someone breathing, the sound steady and strong in the silence. Ichigo murmured, "Renji?" Hanatarou confirmed his suspicions, and Ichigo sighed with relief, moving forward until he touched the side of the patient's bed.

Reaching out blindly, carefully, Ichigo felt the other man's reiatsu, flowing around him, the energy smooth and unbroken, and he relaxed even further. If his reiatsu was already this strong, then he'd pull through for certain.

Touching Renji's chest, Ichigo moved his hand up, brushing over his friend's body carefully, searching for his face. A small groan, and Ichigo froze, waiting until Renji settled back down, before continuing his gentle strokes. Reaching Renji's hair, which was clean and flowing free, Ichigo brushed it away from his face, the motions smooth and hypnotic.

Another groan, but Ichigo didn't stop, moving to sit on the edge of Renji's bed. "Ichigo?" his friend rasped, the sound hoarse and rough, and Ichigo winced. "What're you doing here? And why the hell are your eyes closed?" he demanded, his voice sounding almost angry until he started coughing, the sound grating and painful.

Feeling Hanatarou's reiatsu moving closer, Ichigo shifted so that the smaller shinigami could hold the water up to Renji's mouth, but continued petting the other man's hair. For some reason, the action was soothing, and since Renji hadn't protested yet, he saw no reason to stop.

Once Renji had taken a few sips of water and settled back, he asked Ichigo again. "Why are your eyes closed, Ichigo?" Ichigo just shrugged; he didn't know, but thinking about opening them left him feeling uneasy. "Then open them," he demanded softly.

Swallowing, Ichigo obeyed, his instincts screaming at him. Neither Zangetsu nor Hichigo offered up any protests, so he allowed his eyes to open fully and stared at Renji, who stared back at him, pale-faced and obviously upset. "Do I really look that bad?" Ichigo teased lightly, Renji's stare making him uncomfortable.

Renji replied, "Have you looked at your eyes, Ichigo?" When the teenager shook his head, Renji gestured at Hanatarou. "Get him a mirror, would you?" he demanded. There were no mirrors in the room, so after a hesitant pause that made Renji snap at him, he left the room. That was what Ichigo had been waiting for.

A flash of power, and the door slammed closed, nearly buckling behind the force of Ichigo's reiatsu. No doubt shinigami would come running, but he'd be done by the time they made it into the room. His instincts screaming at him to act quickly, Ichigo reached down, grabbing a fistful of that brilliant hair and yanking Renji's head up.

"Ow! What the hell is your problem?" Renji snapped, his eyes pissed. Ichigo ignored him, his mouth darting down and clamping tightly into his friend's shoulder. A cry sounded above him, but Ichigo found that he didn't care…yet. Another flash of power, and his reiatsu tangled with Renji's, binding the shinigami to him. Now he wouldn't have to worry about Renji dying on him, because he would _know_ when his friend was in trouble.

The cries had died down into whimpers as Renji grew weaker, unable to struggle against the reiatsu binding him. He shuddered as Ichigo released his shoulder, then fell limply to the bed. He could feel the other man's presence, not just because of his reiatsu, but because a part of Ichigo was actually _inside_ of him.

Ichigo slumped down, resting against his chest, and the two men lay there for a few moments, recovering. With a groan, Ichigo sat up. "I'm so sorry," he murmured, his voice sounding utterly miserable. "I don't know what came over me, or what I just did."

Renji just shook his head, trying and failing to catch his friend's gaze. "Ichigo," he snapped finally, and the other boy looked up at him. "I think that the demon in you is a little more…powerful than your Hollow might have anticipated. Look in a mirror," he advised, just as the door to the room broke down under Unohana's spell, several shinigami rushing into the room behind her, zanpakuto at the ready.

"Excuse me, excuse me, please!" Hanatarou slipped through them all, a handheld mirror held close to his chest. Upon seeing Ichigo, and the blood now spreading from underneath the bandages wrapped around Renji's shoulders, the Healer paused, uncertain, but then stiffened his back and marched forward, holding the mirror out for Ichigo to take.

Taking the mirror from him, Ichigo looked into it, and then paled. His eyes were no longer chocolate brown. Instead, they were now pitch black, and an amber fire smoldered in them, glittering back at him in the mirror. "When you did…that," Renji murmured, even now unwilling to outright accuse Ichigo of something that would be guaranteed to get him in trouble, "your eyes changed." He didn't elaborate, and Ichigo didn't ask him to. Later, if there was a later, he would ask his questions.

With a sigh, he turned to the present shinigami defiantly, watching them flinch back at his unfamiliar stare. "Well? Now what?"

Unohana shrugged. "This is the first time I've ever seen a shinigami with demonic reiatsu," she admitted ruefully. "I'm certain Captain Kurotsuchi will be most interested in this new development."

Another voice spoke up, and they turned to Renji as he said, "No way. Ichigo stays with me." His eyes narrowed, he glared at everybody in the room, daring them to refuse him. Ichigo just stared at him in confusion. He would have thought that Renji would appreciate some distance from him right about now. "I don't know what the hell he just did, but he's not going anywhere, until I can go, too." His jaw was set in determination, and it was quite obvious that even injured and in pain, he wasn't going to let them take Ichigo without argument.

Ichigo smiled at him gratefully. Meeting his eyes, Renji made a small gesture, and Ichigo leaned down towards him, waiting to see what else he had to say. He saw the movement from the corner of his eye, but didn't dodge the blow. His head snapped to the side, and he winced at the blow. Renji might be badly hurt, but his punches weren't anything to laugh at.

"And _that's _for biting me, asshole!" the redhead shinigami snapped. Ichigo's eyes widened in shock, and then he tilted his head back and laughed. If nothing else, he had found a kinship with this shinigami who was all spit and fire. Life was bound to be even more exciting from now on, he thought, grinning, his face already starting to bruise. Two men who couldn't give up, and couldn't give in, no matter what life had to throw their way.

What a team, he thought ruefully, meeting Renji's amused eyes. The other shinigami seemed to agree, and Ichigo grinned again. "Come on, world," he challenged silently. "Do your worst! And when you're done, we'll still be standing here, laughing."


	13. Chapter 13

Ichigo was pacing back and forth in front of Renji's bed, ignoring the other man's sarcastic, irritated commentary, when Captain Hitsugaya came to bring him the news. Unohana had remained in the 4th division barracks, keeping an eye on her charges, and so she had missed the diplomatic meetings as well.

"She wants to see you, and says that if you agree to meet with her, alone, she will leave Sereitei and the demons will leave the shinigami alone, for good. Ichigo sighed; he didn't really want to see the bitch again, but he supposed he didn't have much of a choice. He was so tired of dealing with demons, fighting them, only to get himself or somebody else hurt.

Scowling, he agreed, ignoring Renji's protests, and followed Hitsugaya out of the barracks, following his lead towards where the shinigami captains usually met. As they walked, Ichigo was well aware of the shocked stares and the heated whispers following him. Apparently, his eyes were a great cause of concern, and the shinigami were worried that he might go on a demonic rampage. Ichigo snorted; he had better control than that, at least.

Walking into the central building of the first division, Ichigo refused to be intimidated by the glares of the present captains and vice captains. They weren't the ones that had been kidnapped and possessed, or tortured, by demons. They weren't the ones who had held their friend's fate in their hands, and felt that horrible despair at being helpless to do anything but fight and refuse to give in. They had no right to judge him. The only person allowed to judge him was currently lying on a bed in the Fourth Division's barracks, injured because he wasn't fast enough or strong enough.

At the far end of the room, Genryusai stood, his expression as inscrutable as always. To his right stood his vice-captain, and the demon lord stood on his left, watching him with eager eyes.. Ichigo just scowled at her pleased expression, his eyes flashing.

Hitsugaya had moved off into his own position in the line, leaving Ichigo to stand before the Commander, and position that he had hoped to never find himself in again. The old man might look frail, but he was incredibly powerful, and Ichigo didn't much care for having his undivided attention.

He stopped in front of Genryousai, refusing to bow, and met the old man's eyes. "Kurosaki Ichigo," he began, wasting no time, "as you are aware, your abilities have garnered the attention of demons, and occurrence which has not happened for as long as I have been alive." Ichigo barely bit back a sarcastic comment about living shinigami, and Genryusai continued on. "We have been involved in negotiations with the demon lord, and she has requested your presence. Once she has confirmed what she believes happened, she has agreed to call back her people and order that they leave the shinigami alone."

Ichigo snorted. She'd order that they left the shinigami alone, but not the humans? Ichigo supposed that he might be asking for too much, but he found it ironic that once again, the shinigami cared more about their own hides than the humans that they were supposed to protect.

The demon lord gestured for Ichigo to stand in front of her, and he complied reluctantly, his eyes snapping fire at her. If he had been able to see himself, he would be surprised to see that the banked fire was now a raging inferno, the colors flickering in his eyes with his ire. The demon lord just widened her smile.

When he stopped in front of her, refusing to move closer, she came to him instead. Stopping within touching distance, she spoke, her voice deceptively smooth and soothing. "I see that you were, indeed, able to assimilate a demon's power into yourself. I am most pleased."

"You're the only one who's pleased, then," Ichigo snapped back, irritable and tired of dealing with this crap. As soon as she saw what she wanted to see, Ichigo was out of here and on his way home. He hated to leave Renji behind, but the other shinigami would be fine in the Fourth Division, with the Healers watching over him.

The demon lord just laughed at him, and Ichigo barely refrained from snarling at her. Suddenly, faster than he could register the motion, she reached up and touched him, wrapping one slender hand around the back of his neck to keep him from recoiling. Her other hand clasped over his eyes, and Ichigo snarled, jerking his head. His reward was a sharp tightening on the back of his neck, and he froze, realizing that she could probably snap his spine right now if she chose.

"This will only take a moment," she murmured, and Ichigo tensed, waiting for whatever she was planning to throw at him. That overwhelming power flooded over and through him, and he would have fallen if not for the demon lord's grip. Distantly, he heard the other captains crying out, the sound of steel being removed from their sheaths, and the Commanders orders to stand down.

That power swept through him, calling to the demonic part of him, and Ichigo found himself unable to resist that summons. With a snarl, his own power rose to the surface and tore free, challenging the female who had dared to call him out. He was strong, and not even a demon lord would be able to force submission from him.

Power rose and flared, crackling around the two demons, but the demon lady made no moves to attack him; instead, she seemed to be almost disappointed. "That certainly didn't take any time at all," she spoke, and Ichigo's hackles rose, itching to attack but unwilling to do so if she wasn't going to start a fight.

"Very well," she continued, addressing Genryusai now, "I have what I came for. He successfully obtained the power of a demon as well. However, if it makes you feel any better, he's very firmly on your side. After all, he's already chosen his contractor. Such a pity. He would have made such a wonderful soldier," she lamented, before bowing her head and sweeping for the front doors, the shinigami watching her with surprised, wary eyes.

Ichigo paled as he realized just how close he had come to being taken away and brought back to the demons' homeland. He didn't understand what she had meant about choosing a contractor, but realized that whatever he had done, it had certainly saved his independence, and his sanity.

The Commander turned to him, his voice deceptively calm as he asked, "Who did you contract, Ichigo Kurosaki? Surely it's not a human, since you have only been here since you were rescued." Ichigo swallowed and shrugged; he honestly had no idea who he had made a contract with, or what sort of contract it was, or even how or when he had made such a thing. For all he knew, the demon lord had been bluffing about him being contracted because she couldn't bind him to her, either.

Genryusai regarded him carefully, and Ichigo returned the favor, wary and unsure of what the captain of the first division was pondering. He really hoped that he wasn't about to be declared an enemy of Sereitei…again.

Finally, the Commander seemed to come to a decision. "Very well, then. For now, you may remain a substitute shinigami. But you will be watched carefully." Ichigo nodded; he hadn't really expected anything less. The shinigami were incredibly paranoid when it came to unknowns, and Ichigo was perhaps the largest mystery any of them had seen in a very long time.

Recognizing a dismissal when given, Ichigo turned his back on the present shinigami captains and walked out of the building, his head held high and his strange eyes not hiding from anyone. He would not apologize for doing what needed to be done to save a friend's life, and he would not hide what he was now.

Turning once he was outside of the First Division's base, Ichigo took off, running across the rooftops, occasionally dropping towards the ground to dodge around shinigami patrols, not in the mood for talking or explaining his eyes to anybody.

Unerringly, his feet took him back to the Healing Houses of the Fourth Division, and he slowed, heading for Renji's room. The few shinigami who saw him didn't bother to stop his progress, and they didn't stare at his rather unique eyes…too much.

As he drew closer to Renji's room, he grinned; the hot-tempered shinigami was busy yelling at whatever poor soul happened to be tending to him. From the way the shinigami outside of the rooms were cringing and whispering, Ichigo surmised that he had been on a rampage for quite a while.

Ignoring the shinigami standing in the hallway, Ichigo sauntered into Renji's room, grinning as one of the healers dodged Renji's fist, but only barely. But when the redhead caught sight of Ichigo, all the fight seemed to go out of him. "Ichigo, you're here," he breathed, and Ichigo smirked.

"Of course I am. What did you think? That they were going to kill me? Or throw me out of Sereitei?" Of course, either of those things could have happened, but they hadn't, so Ichigo wasn't going to spend any time worrying about it. He was here, he was still a shinigami, he still got to fight Hollows and help protect his friends and his town. Beyond the eyes, and some really weird instincts, everything was still the same. At least, that was what he was going to tell himself.

Looking around at the chaos with a critical eye, Ichigo asked, "Did you really have to destroy the entire place?" He wasn't far off in his assessment. The bed was pretty much the only piece of furniture that was still intact. At least three lower-level shinigami were huddling behind various pieces of broken furniture. Ichigo wondered idly why Unohana wasn't here to keep a leash on Renji, and then dismissed the thought. She hadn't been at the meeting, but that's not to say that she wasn't called to a meeting after the demon lord and Ichigo had left. Let them decide what to do with him. For now, though, he was going home.

"I'm outta here," he told Renji, jerking his head back towards the door of the room. "You coming?" Renji grinned and slipped out of bed, his feet only a little shaky as he slipped on his shoes.

Just then, Hanatarou walked into the room, his expression as timid as ever. "Vice Captain Renji, you're not supposed to be out of bed," he murmured, but made no move to stop the redhead. When Renji reached Ichigo, the teenager turned and left the room, Renji following closely at his heels. It was time to leave. When they got to Karakura Town, they could work on figuring out just what was going on, and what came next.

For now, though, Ichigo was tired. He just wanted to go home, sleep, and feel safe. Everything else would come later. Renji, walking silently beside him as they ignored the shinigami they passed in the streets, was apparently of the same mind, because he never slowed.

Opening a portal, Renji gestured for Ichigo to go ahead, which he did without argument. After all, he didn't control the Hell Butterfly that would guide them. A few seconds later, they were both standing on the edge of the park in Karakura Town. "Home sweet home," Ichigo muttered. A dry chuckle beside him, and Ichigo allowed a small smile to show. Home sweet home, indeed.


	14. Chapter 14

"ICHIG-!" the annoyance was quickly silenced with a sharp kick to the gut, and Ichigo rolled over, pulling the covers over his head. It was too early for this crap, and he had just fallen asleep less than two hours ago. His father needed to just shut the hell up, or die. Either option was equally appealing to his son right now.

The first thing he had done upon arriving back in his hometown was to pay a late-night visit to Urahara. Ignoring the amused man's teasing, Ichigo had demanded that he do something about his eyes. Urahara had eventually complied, providing what were, more or less, contact lenses. The lenses, however, didn't adjust his vision at all, but rather adjusted to the previous color of his eyes, so that they shone brown once more.

Not particularly happy with Urahara's "solution", Ichigo had nonetheless taken them as a temporary fix until Urahara could come up with something better. But he had made it rather explicitly clear that a permanent solution had better be found fast, because he could not risk exposing his demon eyes to the general public. They were creepy enough to the shinigami; Ichigo didn't want to see what his human friends would make of the dark eyes that glittered with banked embers.

Renji, in the meantime, had headed for his house to reassure Kon that Ichigo was alive and well, and to check for guards. Other than Rukia and Madarame, who were apparently back on watch after their own recoveries, there were no other shinigami in town, which was a relief.

Ichigo had returned from his somewhat successful visit, listened to Renji's brief report, and then collapsed into his bed, still fully dressed except for his trainers. That was two hours ago. And now, his father was trying to wake him up, and Ichigo was not in a very forgiving mood.

Having recovered from the initial strike as rapidly as ever, Isshin leapt at his son again. Ichigo didn't even bother to move, and listened with a satisfied thud as his father tripped over what appeared to be thin air and crashed to the ground with a groan. Way to go, Renji. Apparently, the redheaded shinigami didn't take kindly to being awoken by Isshin's uncalled-for exuberance either.

His father finally got the hint and left, bawling. No doubt he'd go to Yuzu, who was probably cooking breakfast, and lament on Ichigo's unfriendly personality, wondering what he did wrong when raising him. Ichigo could give him a list, but it would take him too long.

"How long you gonna lay there like a lump?" Renji's voice rumbled from beside the bed, and Ichigo made a rather inarticulate reply before burrowing back under the covers. It was the weekend, so he shouldn't need to get up, right? So what was up with people's obsession over making him get out of bed today?

"Rukia's already demanding that you get up, Ichigo," Renji spoke, and Ichigo groaned, vaguely recalling being informed that Rukia wanted to see him in the morning. Cracking his eyes open, Ichigo checked the clock. It was just past ten o'clock. The morning wasn't over yet. Satisfied with his logic, Ichigo burrowed back under the covers and closed his eyes again, determined to finish sleeping.

A sudden tug, and he curled into a ball, cursing. It wasn't particularly cold outside, but it was still cooler without the covers than he had been moments before. "Dammit, Renji!" he snapped, pissed. "How about you go see Rukia yourself and leave me alone?" He was met with silence, though he could still feel Renji's reiatsu at his back, so the other man hadn't left.

"Is that an order?" a voice growled from behind him, and Ichigo started, turning to stare at Renji wide-eyed. The other man was furious, his limbs locked tightly as he appeared to be fighting against something. Sitting up, Ichigo stared at him, worried.

Still confused, Ichigo replied, "Of course it's not an order. What's wrong, Renji?" he asked, his curiosity burning. Silently, Renji reached up and tugged down his right sleeve, allowing the material to slip down over his shoulder, revealing the healing bite mark that Ichigo had left behind…was it only yesterday? Noticing it, Ichigo asked, "It's not healed yet?"

Renji shook his head angrily, his limbs relaxing slowly now. "It's healed, it just won't go away," he corrected, his eyes flashing. "Whatever the hell you did to me when your eyes went all weird and you bit me, it's got me all screwed up. I can't stand being left alone for a long period of time anymore, and whenever you give an order, I feel like I have to obey. No," he hesitated, "more like I _want_ to obey, because I can ignore it if I really want to." Like he just had. The words remained unspoken, but Ichigo heard them.

"Shit. The contract," he muttered, his mind flying back to yesterday. The demon lord had been so disappointed because he had already chosen a contractor, and so she couldn't take him for her own. The only person that he had even had any real contact with had been Renji. Once his instincts had settled, after he had bitten Renji, he had dismissed the incident as unimportant. He had just figured that it was a demon instinct to attack those around them, or that the demon in him had wanted blood, and he just hadn't expected it, rendering him unable to stop it until after it had happened.

Renji flexed his hands at his side and stared at him expectantly. "Contract? Is that why you were in such a hurry to get out of there yesterday? Because of the contract? And what is this contract, exactly? I assume it has something to do with you taking a chunk outta me yesterday," he drawled, obviously unhappy.

"I was in a hurry to get out of there because I was tired of dealing with that demonic bitch, and I didn't feel like sticking around while the shinigami decided what the hell they wanted to do with me. I'll probably end up with round-the-clock babysitters, or in prison," he muttered. "As for the contract, I have no idea. I just…felt a need to do what I did, but I thought I had it under control. Apparently not," he continued bitterly.

A foot swung up and nearly nailed Ichigo, who rolled over and onto the floor instinctively before standing up and glaring at the redhead who had attacked him. Renji glared right back him, pissed off. "Don't even feed me that crap, Ichigo!" he snapped.

Ichigo blinked, and then sighed, the fight going out of him. "Alright, alright already," he muttered. "I got it. I'm up. Let's get going, shall we?" Moving over to his closet, he opened the door and grabbed jeans and a t-shirt. Renji was right; they couldn't change what had happened, and brooding over it wasn't going to help anyone. They had a job to do as shinigami, and they were going to make sure it got done. What happened in their private lives was an entirely separate matter.

Leaving the room, Ichigo headed for a shower. Not even Renji could deny him that; Rukia could just wait until he was ready, and then they'd talk. Ichigo shook his head, disgusted with himself. What was wrong with him? Rukia was a close friend, and somebody he cared for a lot. Or, at least, somebody he _had_ cared for a lot. But lately, Renji had become the person most important to him.

Stripping and climbing into the hot shower, Ichigo thought about the past couple of weeks. If he was honest with himself, the contract really had nothing to do with the way he now regarded Renji. His admiration for the other man went a long ways back. Renji was somebody who had a goal and strived towards it. He never gave up, and he never gave in. If it was a challenge, he was up for it. He was brash, and bold, and completely reckless, but he was also determined and loyal almost to a fault.

But ever since that demon had possessed the other shinigami and kidnapped Ichigo right out from under the watchful eyes of Sereitei and his friends, Ichigo's respect for Renji had grown. Even though it was only a few weeks ago that they had both suffered so horribly, still Renji had fought with everything he had. Ichigo had learned from his Hollow that Renji had been fighting the demon with everything he had before Hichigo had even arrived, weakening the demon and making it possible for the two of them to destroy him completely.

And now, it was up to him to decide what to do about it, Ichigo supposed. Especially if this contract made his orders that powerful on his friend, he winced. He had never meant for that to happen. Perhaps Urahara would have a suggestion on how to eliminate, or even weaken, the bond.

Ichigo reached for the tap, but froze, his head snapping towards the door as he felt it; the reiatsu of several Hollow nearby. Not particularly powerful Hollow, but Ichigo didn't like the idea of so many being altogether, and in his town. After all, the last time there had been such a large number of Hollow was a few days ago, when he and Renji had been kidnapped by the demons…again.

With a groan, Ichigo flipped off the water and hopped out of the shower, scurrying to get dressed. It wouldn't do for his dad or sisters to find his naked body lifeless in the bathroom while he was out chasing Hollow. A flicker of reiatsu, and Ichigo smiled; Renji was already heading for them.

Dressed now, Ichigo ran back to his bedroom, ordered Kon to watch his body, and used the pendant to shift, flying out the window as a shinigami, his body dropping onto the bed behind him. He really had to find a better way to do this, he thought vaguely as he ran down the street.

The Hollow were easy to find, and Ichigo joined Renji in the fight, although it was nearly finished by the time he arrived. All of the Hollow were weaker than even the Menos were, but Ichigo figured they'd still better let Urahara know. Perhaps there was a tear into this world that was allowing so many Hollow to show up in one place like this.

Not even ten minutes later, all Hollow had been taken care of, and the two shinigami headed back for Ichigo's house, where his body and Renji's gigai lay. Rukia was probably going to pissed that they were so late, but it couldn't be helped.

Stepping into his room, Ichigo was just in time to hear Karin knocking on the door. "Ichi-ni, you've got a phone call!" she informed him, and Ichigo thanked her, sliding back into his body while Renji did the same with his gigai.

Picking up the phone, Ichigo said, "This is Ichigo." It was Rukia on the other end, informing him that several Hollow had appeared near Urahara's shop, and checking to see if he was okay. "Yeah, I'm fine," he assured her. "And so is Renji," he added, grinning when he heard Rukia's response that _of course _Renji was okay, because he was too stubborn to lose to a bunch of weak Hollow.

Hanging up the phone after assuring Rukia that they were on their way, Ichigo just shook his head, heading back upstairs. On his way up, he saw Karin standing at the top of the steps, watching him. He smiled gently; his little sister had always been able to see more than the others, and a part of her knew that Ichigo wasn't completely human anymore. It made her wary, but not afraid, and Ichigo appreciated her honesty.

"I have to go meet with some friends today," he told her, answering her unspoken question. "I don't know when I'll be home, so tell Yuzu not to worry about saving me some dinner, okay?"

Karin nodded. "And dad?" she asked, although they both knew the answer. Isshin was clueless about a lot of things, and they'd much rather it stay that way. There was no need to get him involved in something dangerous that he had no power against.

Ichigo flashed her a quick grin. "Nah, no need to tell the old man anything," he replied. Another nod from Karin, and he was in the hallway, heading for his room. They'd leave through his window again, rather than dragging Renji out the front door in front of his father and sisters.

Running down the street towards Urahara's shop, Ichigo found the exertion soothing. Renji easily kept pace with him, and Ichigo found that he felt better whenever Renji was near. He didn't know if that was part of the contract, or if it was just a measure of safety for him now. It didn't really matter, except that he was uncertain as to how much of his current feelings towards the vice captain was the contract, and how much was him. Hopefully, Urahara could clear some of that up.

Slowing down as they neared the shop, the two men fell side by side as they walked. Unexpectedly, Ichigo winced as a sudden thought flew through his head, and he stopped dead, his eyes already changing, the embers stirring into flames. Renji had stopped as well, puzzled, but when he saw Ichigo's eyes, no longer hidden by the special lenses Urahara had given him, he froze, his eyes wide.

Staring straight at Renji, Ichigo felt a possessiveness unlike anything he had felt before. No, he corrected himself, he had felt this same feeling once before, and only once – when he had bitten Renji, sealing a contract between them.

Even understanding what was happening, Ichigo found that he was powerless to stop the demonic instinct from taking over. Darting forward, he growled when Renji jumped back, out of reach. His eyes flashed, and he growled, "Don't run, or this might hurt." The part of him that was still human realized that if Renji persisted in fleeing, he'd chase him, and Renji might get hurt.

Renji must have realized that it was Ichigo talking as well, because he paused, setting his body into a low crouch and watching the teenager warily. Again, Ichigo darted forward, reaching out and slamming Renji into the wall of a house behind him. Grunting with the impact, Renji glared down at him. "Might hurt?" he demanded, seething. Ichigo ignored him, reaching up instead and fisting a hand in his hair, forcing his head back.

Once Renji's throat was exposed, Ichigo attacked it, leaning forward and biting down on the slender column. A part of him shuddered and felt guilty for hurting his friend, even a little bit, but the greater part of him simply didn't care. They were going to meet other shinigami, one of which was Renji's childhood friend, and Ichigo couldn't stop the surge of jealousy that had overtaken him. Perhaps that's why he had been reluctant to head for Urahara's this morning.

Renji growled above him, but Ichigo didn't let up, his free hand reaching up and fisting itself in Renji's hair as well, forcing his head back even further, his body pinning him to the house. His senses told him that nobody was nearby to see them, but he remained alert while he bit down on Renji's throat.

A few more bites, followed by a rasping tongue, and Renji wasn't growling in anger anymore. Instead, the body pinned against the wall had relaxed, becoming more malleable, and Ichigo showed his appreciation by changing the angle, working his way up the column of Renji's throat to his chin, nipping lightly now instead of biting. The contracted had submitted, for now, and that was enough.

Tugging on the hair still held in his hands, Ichigo turned Renji's head down and let their lips meet, kissing the other man, the fire still raging in his eyes. Renji allowed this as well, not protesting when Ichigo slipped his tongue inside the shinigami's mouth…until he bit down.

With a yelp, Ichigo pulled away, glaring at Renji and fighting twin instincts. His demonic side wanted to punish the impudent redhead for fighting him, but his human self rather admired the audacity. After several tense moments, Ichigo won out over the demon's instincts and he straightened, making a face. "Sorry 'bout that," he mumbled. "I wasn't expecting that."

"Expecting what?" Renji retorted, turning and continuing the walk to Urahara's shop, but keeping it at a decent pace so that Ichigo could fall into step beside him. Ichigo debated for a moment, and then decided to be honest. After all, it was Renji that was going to suffer when he had these sudden flashes, and he'd rather spare them both the embarrassment of having their friends see something like what just happened.

With a quiet sigh, he spoke. "When I thought of going to see Rukia, I felt uneasy, but ignored it. But as we drew closer, I got a sudden surge of…jealousy, I suppose. Or possessiveness. All I knew was that I wanted to make sure that everybody at this meeting knows that you're mine."

Renji mulled this over for a moment, and then nodded. "The demon," he spoke softly, almost to himself. Ichigo nodded his agreement. Those bold eyes turned to stare at him as Renji continued, "And the kiss?"

Ichigo stumbled, caught off guard. Blushing, he replied, "Umm…that was sort of a reward…for not fighting me," he mumbled. "Until you bit me, of course. I almost hit you for that one," he admitted, not looking at Renji.

The other shinigami chuckled. "A reward, hm? " Ichigo's blush deepened, but he didn't respond. He couldn't bring himself to admit that the kiss had been more his own idea rather than the new instincts inside of him. It seemed like he had to worry about controlling more than the demon inside of him. And he had thought the Hollow's battle lust was bad.

"Oh? I'm easier to control than that weak demon? Are you sure about that?" Hichigo's voice chuckled inside him, and Ichigo growled silently at the Hollow to shut up. He wasn't easier to control, because he was stronger, but they had an agreement of sorts, as long as Ichigo remained strong enough to be king. Besides that, Hichigo was interested in fighting, in conquering his enemy. Demons, apparently, pursued more…subtle interests, like contracts and subjugation, apparently.

Ignoring Hichigo's sarcastic reply to his comments, Ichigo continued walking. They had a meeting to get to, after all. Everything else could wait until afterwards. At least, Ichigo thought, glancing up at Renji, he hoped it could wait. Because if it couldn't, then he would be lost.


	15. Chapter 15

The meeting dragged on forever, it seemed, and Ichigo couldn't focus on most of it, too aware of Renji sitting next to him, with Rukia on his other side. He should have made it so that the other shinigami was sitting next to Urahara, or something. Only the knowledge that Renji would never forgive him if he gave in to his new instincts here kept him in firm control over the demon inside. He had no doubt that the redhead didn't appreciate being attacked and bitten at random, but in front of Rukia? Ichigo would probably find himself face to face with Zabimaru's fangs in about three seconds flat.

And so he sat there, tense and gritting his teeth, not really paying attention to what was going on around him. Every now and then, Renji would elbow him in the side, and he'd snap to attention, answer whatever question Urahara was asking, and then retreat back into himself, trying his best to not just jump the man sitting next to him and claim him in front of everybody. This demon instinct was getting old, really fast, and he was disgusted with himself that he didn't have better control than this. He was fine when they were alone, after all, so why couldn't he do as well when there were other people around.

"Ichigo, let's go!" Renji snapped, a hand smacking across the back of his head. Ichigo turned and growled at the other man, but then realized that Urahara was gone, and Renji was standing up. Was it time to go, finally? Apparently not, he thought grimly, following Renji into a back room, ignoring the suspicious, curious, confused gazes behind him.

Urahara was waiting for them in the next room, and for once, his expression was serious. Dreading the conversation, but much more comfortable now that it was only the three of them, Ichigo took a seat, not even paying attention as he situated himself next to Renji again. If the others noticed, they chose not to say anything.

"I understand that you've made a contract with Renji," Urahara stated, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. "What does this contract entail, exactly?" The curiosity was bright in his eyes, and Ichigo scowled. What was with people asking questions that he didn't have the answers to?

"I don't know," he admitted, his voice sour. "I only know that I want to be near him all the time, and that I don't like the idea of him being around anyone that might be a threat." He had figured out at least that much while spacing out during the meeting. What he didn't understand was why, exactly, these instincts worked the way they did. With the way he was acting, he almost expected to get pissed at acts of defiance, but for some reason, it never bothered him when Renji argued or struck him, because that's just how the other man was.

Urahara nodded to himself, humming a little, and Ichigo just glared at him, waiting. "Anything else? Do you find yourself wanting to own him? Or to devour, or otherwise take over, his soul?" Ichigo blinked at the odd question. Why in the hell would he be interested in devouring Renji's soul? It made no sense…unless, of course, you were a demon, he acknowledged.

Shaking his head, he replied in the negative. "I don't want any of that. I'm not sure what the contract or whatever entails, because I've never done anything like this before, obviously," he replied, irritated. He seemed to be annoyed all the time now, and Urahara's humming was driving him nuts. "Would you stop that?" he snapped.

Urahara blinked at him, wide-eyed, and then chuckled. "Too many violent personalities, Ichigo? You might want to get some help from Zangetsu," he advised. Ichigo scowled at him, but then paused, thinking it over. Oftentimes, Urahara gave valuable advice in between his teasing. You just had to learn to read between the lines.

Hichigo loved to fight, and was a Hollow, no matter his appearance. He loved to fight, and he would devour souls if he was free. Demons made contracts with humans and then took their souls once the contract was fulfilled. Ichigo himself was a stubborn, hot-tempered human and shinigami both, and he thoroughly enjoyed fighting as well, from punks to street gangs to Hollow and enemy shinigami.

Zangetsu, on the other hand, might be a weapon, but he was used for the purpose of protecting what was dear to Ichigo. He was also much, much older than Ichigo, and his presence was often soothing to the teenager, providing much-needed guidance to his shinigami wielder. Perhaps, he would be a good one to talk to.

"I'll take that under advisement," he muttered, and Urahara beamed, obviously pleased that Ichigo was actually listening to him and planning to take his advice. He probably didn't realize that Ichigo was desperate enough to try anything. Renji might not have protested too much yet, but if Ichigo completely let his instincts take over, his friend would probably never forgive him. In fact, he was rather surprised that Renji hadn't clocked him for the earlier pouncing, either. Maybe that was another part of the contract?

Urahara was chattering again, and Ichigo forced himself to refocus on the former scientist. "In the meantime," he was saying, "I'll try and find out what a contract might entail, and if there's any way to dissolve one." Renji was thanking him, and then they were back out of the store, which was now empty, and on their way.

"Well, that was boring, and useless," Renji yawned as they left Urahara's shop behind. "I mean, we all know that there are a bunch of Hollow popping up everywhere. Nobody knows why, nobody has any guesses, and we're right back where we started. It's not the demons, so it probably wasn't them the first time either. They were just using the situation to their advantage." It was obvious that he was just as frustrated as Ichigo, but for different reasons.

"Do we have the demons' word that they aren't involved?" Ichigo wondered. "I mean, I know they promised not to interfere with the shinigami, but the agreement said nothing about humans or Hollows." He nearly ran into Renji's back as the other shinigami stopped dead, staring blankly ahead. "Ah, Renji?" he asked, confused.

Renji shook his head. "I don't know what the demons agreed to. I was laid up, remember? But Yoruichi doesn't believe that the demons are behind the massive quantity of Hollows that keep appearing." Ichigo snorted; the talking cat didn't believe that the demons were behind it; how reassuring. A wry smile flitted across Renji's face, showing that he found Ichigo's reaction amusing.

Ichigo paused as another thought occurred to him. "Why are you still here?" he demanded. Renji just stared at him in confusion, his eyebrows furrowed. "I mean, why aren't you in Sereitei, with the other shinigami? Why are you still here?"

Renji shrugged. "Don't ask me. You brought me here, didn't you?" He had a valid point, Ichigo acknowledged, frowning. It was Ichigo who had taken him from the Fourth Division's Healing Houses and back to Karakura Town with him. Although he'd be damned if he knew why, other than that he had gotten used to having the other man around, and found that he felt much safer when the redhead was nearby. Still, that didn't mean that he had the right to keep the other man from his work as a shinigami.

"I'm sorry," he apologized softly, not even entirely sure what he was apologizing for. A warm hand pressed against his forehead, and Ichigo glared up at Renji. "I'm not sick, and I'm not running a fever, moron!" he snapped, swatting Renji's hand away from his forehead. The other man just raised an eyebrow, skeptical. Ichigo turned and stalked away, fuming. Here he was trying to apologize for whatever the hell it was that he needed to apologize for, and Renji just blew it off like it was nothing. Didn't he have any idea how hard it was for Ichigo to apologize?

Footsteps came up beside him, but Ichigo ignored the shinigami, not ready to acknowledge his presence yet. A sigh beside him, and Renji spoke. "You don't have to apologize. They made me your babysitter, remember? As far as I know, I haven't been removed from that duty, so until orders come in for me to return to Sereitei and my squad, I'm here for the duration. Besides," he grinned suddenly, "you and I both know that you'd have ditched anybody else a long time ago!"

His cheerful exclamation coaxed a smile out of Ichigo, who had to admit that Renji was probably right. If somebody like Rukia had been sent to guard him, he would have both ignored her orders and probably disappeared on her. He was getting better at hiding his reiatsu, and sometimes, it took Rukia hours to find him, although he was always available at the first sign of danger. Ichigo was positive that if he really wanted to, he could probably make her hunt for him for days instead of hours.

"Besides, what's with the new attitude?" Renji demanded suddenly, reaching out and grabbing Ichigo's arm, pulling them both to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk. People flowed around them, ignoring the two men as they had ignored those that they had passed. "I don't think I've ever heard you apologize, for anything."

Ichigo glared up at him. "I have apologized before!" he snapped, yanking his arm out of Renji's grip with a sharp tug. "Just not to you! Or to any of the shinigami, for that matter." With the exception of Rukia, he added silently. Orihime and his sisters were the only other people he had ever actually apologized to, and he had gotten the same reaction from them, too. Did everybody think he was an unfeeling bastard?

Renji held up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm not saying that you haven't," he denied. "I'm just wondering why you're apologizing to me. You set your Hollow loose twice to save me, and absorbed a demon's energy to satisfy their queen. You don't have anything to apologize for," he insisted. Ichigo stared up at him, the embers in his black eyes flickering lazily. Ichigo didn't know what he looked like, but Renji's reaction to his eyes usually told him if something was wrong.

He was still totally creeped out by his own eyes, but he couldn't change them, and didn't want to bother with the contacts that Urahara had provided. They were uncomfortable, and they didn't fix the problem, only hid his eyes temporarily. It just wasn't worth the effort, not even to shield his family from whatever was going on. They'd just have to get used to it, like they'd gotten used to so many weird things happening to their brother.

He still wasn't satisfied with Renji's explanation, but decided to drop it for now. He didn't feel like arguing over it. Turning away, he muttered, "So you're here until you get recalled, then." For some reason, the words weighed him down, now that they had been spoken. Logically, he knew that Renji was a shinigami, and that he belonged in Sereitei with the rest of his division. He was vice-captain, to boot. He would be needed sooner or later. Ichigo supposed that Renji was only here in the human world because things were peaceful at the moment, and Ichigo was probably the biggest threat the shinigami currently had.

That was a bitter thought, and Ichigo swallowed it. It didn't matter anyhow. He was used to being at odds with the shinigami, although he had made friends, or at least allies, with most of them. Still, of all the shinigami, there were only two that he would trust implicitly. One was the girl who had given him his shinigami powers, and the other was at his side, walking silently next to him, a guard and a friend. And maybe something more, Ichigo reflected, surprised at the longing that accompanied the thought.

He had known, for a while now, that Renji was becoming somebody special to him; somebody as important as family to him. But until he had kissed the other man a few hours ago, and felt him surrender to it, he hadn't realized just how important the redhead was becoming to him. Scowling forbiddingly as he chewed his epiphany over, Ichigo didn't realize that the people around him and Renji were giving them a wide berth, obviously wary of the pissed off teenager with the coal black eyes.

Ichigo wasn't intentionally frightening the passersby around him; it was just that, when he was thinking seriously, he tended to not want to be interrupted until he had solved his dilemma, and so his expression warned everybody away. Even Renji maintained his silence at Ichigo's side, waiting for him to finish whatever thoughts he was having now.

Coming to a decision, Ichigo ducked into a nearby alleyway, snagging Renji's wrist and dragging the protesting redhead behind him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" the taller shinigami demanded. "There's nothing here but a dead end." Ichigo shrugged. That didn't make any difference; all that mattered to him was that they were out of view of the people out on the sidewalk.

Renji, apparently realizing that Ichigo wasn't planning on releasing him just yet, stopped protesting and just followed the teenager into the alley. When they were almost at the brick wall at the alley's end, Ichigo stopped and turned, pressing Renji into the wall of the building on their right.

"Hey, wait a minute. What – " Renji's words were cut off abruptly as Ichigo pulled his head down and kissed him…again. This time, though, there was no demon instinct influencing the kiss, and so instead of the forceful dominance that the earlier kiss had been, this one was gentle, hesitant, and clumsy. Ichigo had never even kissed a girl before today, much less another guy. Still, something about it felt almost right. Now, if Renji would just respond.

The redhead shinigami had gone tense when Ichigo had started kissing him, his eyes opened in surprise, but as Ichigo stared up at him, his eyes confused but determined, he stopped resisting and opened his mouth, allowing Ichigo to kiss him. Ah, this was better, Ichigo thought, adjusting his angle just slightly so that they fit together better.

Suddenly, arms were wrapped around his back, and Ichigo gasped, surprised when Renji pulled him closer to his body, leaning against the brick wall behind him. "Shh," the redhead cautioned, disengaging, and Ichigo frowned up at him, not understanding. A crash and a curse from further down the alley, followed by some laughter and a cat's hiss, and he understood. Apparently, some kids had followed a cat into the alley, where they had then tripped over something – probably a trash can – and startled the cat.

A few minutes later, the person moved off, wandering back out of the alley as his friends ribbed him about being bested by a kitten. Ichigo chuckled quietly, amused at their antics. Above him, Renji smiled as well, his lips bruised, and Ichigo blushed, completely embarrassed now that he had time to think about his actions. What had he been thinking, dragging his friend into a narrow dead-end alley just to molest him? And he thought his father was an idiot.

Before he could chastise himself too thoroughly, though, Renji bent down and kissed him again, but harder this time, more aggressively. He had kissed before, Ichigo realized with a sudden insight. For a moment, he wondered who Renji had kissed, and found himself getting jealous. However, that was gone a moment later when Renji gripped his chin, tilting his head back for better access to his mouth. This time, Ichigo responded, opening his mouth and letting the kiss progress naturally.

No demonic influence interfered with the kiss this time; it was just Ichigo and Renji. Not even Hichigo or Zangetsu were within easy distance right now. Sighing when Renji broke the kiss, Ichigo looked up at him, unaware that the amber in his eyes was now flickering lazily. "Now what?" he asked abruptly, and Renji blinked. "There was no demon involved when I kissed you," he admitted, bold now that there were no more secrets. "And I don't think you kissed me back just because of this contract between us." Renji shook his head in the affirmative. "Then we're back to the question…what now?"

Renji shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. This is new to me, too, you know," he drawled smoothly. "I'm thinking that we should probably get back home, though," he continued, reluctantly it seemed. Ichigo nodded. Renji was right; they needed to get out of this alley and get back home, where they'd have time to figure out what was going to happen next.

"You're right," he acknowledged, heading back towards the main street. He just hoped that it wasn't too obvious that they had been making out in the alley. He could just imagine the stares then; as if being stared at because of his eyes wasn't bad enough. So they'd go back to his house, probably discuss whatever theories had been tossed around in that meeting, and maybe, just maybe, they'd have time to explore this new "contract" between them.

Ichigo hoped that they'd actually have the _time_ they needed. For the first time in his life, he found himself wanting peace. Not that it was likely to happen, with his luck, but one could dream, couldn't they?


	16. Chapter 16

Ichigo woke slowly, warm and comfortable. Glancing down, he noted the redhead wrapped in his arms. Since their make-out session the previous day, the two shinigami had settled down a little, not trying to fight the attraction that seemed to be growing between them.

When they had arrived home, slipping back in through the window, they had talked. Ichigo had found himself surprised at Renji's willingness to go along with him when it came to his new instincts and his attraction. In all honesty, he had expected Renji to protest the arrangement, or to hit him, at the very least.

But Renji hadn't done any of those things. "You don't think the respect and loyalty goes only one way, do you?" he had demanded in that amused drawl of his, and Ichigo had found himself caught off guard. He had always known that Renji was one of the most loyal people he'd ever met, but it hadn't occurred to him that the loyalty went hand in hand with his affections.

"Back in Rukongai, the only friends you had were the members in your gang," Renji had explained patiently, making Ichigo understand. "You had to trust them to stand at your back, to help steal and share the food and water, and to rescue you or tend to your injuries if you got caught. We loved each other, were each other's family, and so our loyalty was unwavering."

Ichigo understood then. Renji was selective in who he gave his affection to, but once it was given, it was forever. And so, he would remain at Ichigo's side, regardless of whether he remained bound by their contract or Urahara found a way to sever it. Neither of them would say it, but they had moved beyond just being friends and allies the moment that the demon had possessed Renji and kidnapped and tortured Ichigo.

The warmth shifting away from his side stirred Ichigo out of his thoughts, and he glanced down, watching as Renji woke up, not seeming surprised to find himself back in Ichigo's bed, or in his arms. His hair was loose and lay across Ichigo's shoulder and arm. He hadn't been paying attention before, but now he realized that he was running the strands through his fingers.

Startled at the intimate action, Ichigo stopped, slowly pulling his arm back as Renji sat up, stretching languidly, completely unconcerned about his current state of undress. At least they both had sleep pants on, Ichigo thought in relief, because his body was already reacting to the sensual display beside him. As Renji arched his back and stretched his arms out in front of him, the tattoos slid across his skin, the design still not making sense to the teenager.

Renji caught him staring, grinning widely when Ichigo met his eyes, refusing to be embarrassed for ogling the other man. Ever since he had made his decision yesterday, Ichigo had decided to allow himself to appreciate Renji's physique properly. Since the other shinigami didn't protest, he took that as permission to continue.

"Good morning," Ichigo muttered, throwing off the covers. It was time to get up, he supposed. No signs of his father yet, though, which was sort of odd. Usually, Isshin would have been attacking him long before now. Maybe there had been an emergency at work, and he had needed to leave early.

His sisters were no doubt out hanging with their friends, or studying at the library, or whatever it was that they did on days when they didn't have school. Which meant that he wouldn't have to explain Renji's presence in his room. Not that he'd bother, anyhow, even if they were home.

Slipping out of bed, Ichigo grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and headed for the shower. Renji padded behind him, and Ichigo stopped in the hallway, turning to glare at the shinigami, who was trying – and failing – to look innocent. "What? I need a shower, too, you know." Ichigo snorted, walked into the bathroom, and slammed the door in Renji's face. The redhead's amused chuckle filtered through the door as Ichigo stripped and stepped under the shower, turning the water to hot and letting his muscles relax under the soothing pressure.

Soaping up his hair, Ichigo thought back to the meeting. Despite appearances to the contrary, he had been paying attention to the most important aspects of the gathering. The increase of Hollow was apparently caused by a larger tear, and the tempting spirit particles and powerful souls gathered in one place. So Ichigo's presence, along with Urahara's, Ishida's, Chad's, and even Inoue's presence, were attracting the Hollow swarms.

The only solution would be to find where the bridge between their world and Huenco Mundo was weakest, and to reinforce the barrier that kept the Hollow out of the human world.

There had also been some discussion on what to do about Ichigo himself. The shinigami were content to leave him to his own devices for now, with the constant presence of babysitters, of course. But if he didn't keep a low profile, they might decide to take further action against the teenager. Ichigo snorted; as if it was even _possible_ for him to keep a low profile.

Oh, and they had discussed whether or not the demons had intended anything when they had forced Ichigo to more or less absorb a demon's powers. Ichigo and Renji both knew the answer to that, but they pleaded ignorance. There was no way that they were going to admit that the demon lord had wanted to bind Ichigo to her as a servant, or that she was thwarted only because he had followed the instincts that urged him to contract with Renji before their meeting.

Now that he had time to think about it, Ichigo wondered if maybe luck wasn't the only factor that had played into his good fortune. He had barely escaped close calls before, usually by following those base instincts. Most of his friends thought too much, and when they faced defeat, they used their brains to come up with a plan that just might mean their survival. On the other hand, when Ichigo faced danger that might destroy him, he put his thoughts on the back burner and operated only on instinct.

Perhaps that's why it was so easy for him to let the Hollow inside loose when he was backed into a corner. A Hollow operated primarily on instinct, but the higher level ones had a keen intelligence that allowed them to simultaneously evaluate their opponent and determine the best means to destroy the enemy.

"_Am I really that simple?_" Hichigo taunted inside Ichigo's head, and the teen sighed. No, Hichigo wasn't as simple as most of the Hollow he dealt with. He was more like the Arrancar that served under Aizen. Oh, now that he thought about it, hadn't he wanted to talk to Zangetsu, too? Perhaps the zanpakuto knew why he had these urges where Renji was concerned, or at least knew why he had made the contract.

The Hollow laughed again in his head, and Ichigo felt the faint resonance of Zangetsu, giving Hichigo a warning flare. The Hollow ignored the sword, though, and spoke to Ichigo. "_A zanpakuto's primary job is to serve as the sword and shield of its shinigami wielder. You have as much control as you do because Zangetsu gives it to you. You also contracted with that shinigami outside the door because he released those suppressed instincts long enough for you to do what needed to be done so the demon lord couldn't take you for her own._"

Was it really that simple? And where, exactly, did Renji fit into all of this? With a jolt, the realization struck Ichigo; Renji had simply been the most expedient means of protection at the time. He was closest to Ichigo, and the teenager respected the older shinigami. They were friends, and Renji was strong. And so Renji had been bound to Ichigo by an undefined contract for no better reason than that he was in the wrong place at the right time.

He didn't even need Hichigo's wicked laughter to confirm what he already knew. Renji had been used by Ichigo's zanpakuto to protect him. He was just another shield for Ichigo, to keep the demon lord away, and to keep the other shinigami from imprisoning or executing him on the spot. There was nothing more to Renji being the one he had contracted with than a sword's desire to help protect and strengthen its wielder.

A warm wash of concerned calm flowed through him, and Ichigo sighed, letting Zangetsu's emotions soothe him. The zanpakuto truly hadn't meant any ill intent by his actions; he had only wanted to protect Ichigo, and he knew that the redhead shinigami would be an apt protector, more than any other shinigami in Sereitei. Still, Ichigo didn't much care for the thought that their bond had been forged for convenience and protection, rather than for friendship or affection.

Ichigo wondered if Renji had any inkling of the reasons behind the contract, or if he just assumed that Ichigo's instincts had brought them together. Of course, Ichigo thought wryly, that really wasn't too far from the truth. A zanpakuto had its own instincts, and Zangetsu was apparently reinforcing his control over the demonic instincts.

"Zangetsu?" he thought, closing his eyes and slipping easily into his other world. His sword stood there, waiting for him. Hichigo was seated over to their right, watching Ichigo with an odd look on his face. Behind him stood another version of Ichigo, and he blinked, turning to get a better look at this new manifestation – the demon, he supposed.

Just as Hichigo was solid white, this demon was dressed in black, with a shock of black hair that surrounded a pale face, and eyes as pitch black as Ichigo's own. But there were no flames in the demon's eyes. Instead, they were a solid black that glittered, as hard and cold as diamonds.

Ichigo's fingers twitched, aching to draw his blade and attack the intruder. Zangetsu was always welcome as a part of him, and he had learned to live with the Hollow. But this demon was still an unknown.

"Told you we should have kept him hidden for a little longer," Hichigo grinned manically. "I think our king wants to kill off this guy," he cackled gleefully, his thumb jerking back to indicate the demon, who remained motionless, staring at Ichigo through cold eyes.

Ichigo sighed; he didn't think that killing the demon would be a good idea, since it was now a part of him. But it would at least be nice to know what to expect from this new player in the future. But first things first.

"Zangetsu, you're holding back his instincts?" he clarified, looking towards the Zanpakuto, who hadn't moved from his position. The old man nodded at him, and Ichigo asked, "How much?"

Zangetsu responded quietly, his voice soothing, "I am unsure what you are asking. How much am I holding back his instincts? Or how much of his instincts am I holding back?" Ichigo shrugged. He'd be happy with either answer, or both. Reading him, Zangetsu answered both questions. "I am only holding back his instincts when they may lead to something harmful, such as trying to devour a spiritually powerful human's soul. As for how much of them I'm holding back, a lot of his instincts deal with fighting and survival, and so I only hold back those instincts that might lead to you or one of your friends being hurt."

Ichigo nodded, accepting Zangetsu's answers at face value. If nothing else, the zanpakuto had never lied to him. Spoken in riddles, sure, but never ever lied to him outright. If he said that he was doing only minimal restraint, then that's what he was doing. Which meant that most of the control fell to Ichigo.

Still, the demon's instincts hadn't been that difficult to control, Ichigo thought, his eyes once more catching the gaze of the dark version of him. The demon, noticing that he Ichigo's attention, took a careful step forward, his steps hesitant. He stopped at Ichigo's frown, but the substitute shinigami wasn't angry. He was just confused.

"You're awful timid for a demon," he pointed out, his tone questioning and vaguely threatening. The demon shrugged helplessly, seeming to flounder. Ichigo found the contrast between the demon's he had fought and this demon version of himself fascinating. "How come?" he demanded, the flames starting to flicker in his eyes.

The demon saw the flames and froze, staring at him in wonder. Seeming to have lost his fear in the face of his surprise, he moved forward, stopping right in front of Ichigo and reaching out as if to touch him. His hand paused right before they touched the teenager's face, filling Ichigo's vision.

"You have flames in your eyes. Like the demon lord," he murmured softly, and Ichigo frowned, not seeing the correlation. "Only the strong ones have the fire in their eyes," the demon explained, seeing Ichigo's confusion. "They are the demon leaders, those in power."

Ichigo nodded, his face smoothing out as he realized that the demon was basically acknowledging him as a lord, which meant that he probably wouldn't try to challenge him. "If I'm in charge, then why are your instincts so strong sometimes?" he asked, genuinely curious.

The demon frowned back at him, his fear seeming to have faded for the time being. "My instincts are not strong," he disagreed. "But my fear was, when I found myself here, with no idea how or why I was created. I knew only that I could not let the demon lord have me…us," he corrected. "And so I found one that could protect you, and that would not try and break a contract. Your blade allowed me to do so, after it had approved of my choice," he admitted, his voice hesitant now, as if fearing Ichigo's reaction.

Sighing, Ichigo gave up. The demon wasn't a bad guy, he was the weakest of all of them individually – even his energy was weaker, duller – and he had gotten Zangetsu's permission to make a contract with Renji.

"Okay, fine. We'll go with that for now," he muttered, mostly to himself. Glaring back up at the demon, he demanded, "And the possessiveness? My need to bite him whenever I think of him getting close to somebody else? Is that normal among demons?"

The demon nodded carefully, as if afraid to anger Ichigo by agreeing. "When a demon finds a contractor, they are very possessive of that person. Usually, more powerful demons feel the need to…dominate the contracted party, but sometimes, as with you, it's a mutually beneficial arrangement, where you watch each other's back. The…biting only happens when there is a serious threat involved, such as a previous lover, or somebody who has had the other party's affections for a much longer period of time.

_Which would explain why I get jealous of Rukia_, Ichigo thought grimly, the emotions that had accompanied the previous day's thoughts returning. "All right. Fine. I'm going to let this go for now, because it's hurting my head," he gave in. "But I'd appreciate it if you'd try to hold back those instincts of yours. I have enough problems with my own instincts getting me into trouble, without adding a demon's.

His demon just nodded. Ichigo frowned. "What's your name?" he asked suddenly. He couldn't very well go calling the other being his demon all the time.

"I do not have one," the demon replied, not perturbed by this at all. "I woke here, as I am, and have no memory of ever being anybody else." Ichigo frowned up at him before turning to look at Hichigo, who just raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm called Hichigo because I'm a Hollow version of yourself, Ichigo Kurosaki. I had no name, because I am you, and you are me. The old man, on the other hand, had a name long before you were ever born," he continued, obviously knowing Ichigo well enough to know where the teenager's thoughts would go next. "All shinigami zanpakuto have a name of their own."

So the demon didn't have a name? Ichigo didn't feel like giving him one, and the demon didn't seem inclined to think of a name for himself, either, so Ichigo figured he'd just let it go for now.

Realizing that he had been in his Inner World for a significant amount of time now, Ichigo slipped out, not bothering to say goodbye. After all, they were all the same being, just different.

Opening his eyes, he realized that he was back on his bed, the sheets pulled up over his naked body. Renji sat by his side, facing the bedroom door. When Ichigo stirred, he stood up and sheathed Zabimaru. "Glad to see you made it back," he said, turning to stare down at Ichigo, who realized that the other shinigami had been guarding him while he was in talking to Hichigo and the demon. He couldn't protect Ichigo from himself, but he could defend him against intruders.

"I'm gonna go take a shower now. You'll still be here when I get back?" the redhead demanded, and Ichigo nodded, noticing that his clothes were lying haphazardly on the end of the bed. "Good," Renji nodded, heading for the door.

As he slipped out of the bedroom and down the hall to the bathroom, Ichigo made another decision. He might have been pushed to make that contract with Renji, but he wasn't going to fight it anymore. Ichigo smiled, an expression that was so rare that Renji no doubt would have stopped and stared if he had seen it.

For the first time since his mother's death, Ichigo felt that he could truly be happy. Renji might be loud and brash and reckless, but he was also loyal and affectionate and honest. Perhaps, Ichigo thought, he had found the one person that he could trust to watch his back, the one person who could save him, rather than the other way around. Maybe, just maybe, he had found the only person in the world that would survive a contract with him.

With a sigh, Ichigo climbed out of bed, throwing on his clothes. He might as well get ready for the day ahead. He had the feeling it was going to be a long one.


	17. Chapter 17

Ichigo couldn't take it anymore. Turning his head, he asked impatiently, "What is it, Chad?" The bigger boy had been staring at him since lunch had begun, and Ichigo wanted to know why. With a shrug, Chad slid his stare over to Renji, who was busy teasing Ishida, a favorite pastime of Ichigo's. Then he looked back at Ichigo, his eyes observant, but interested.

"He reminds me of you," Chad said simply, and Ichigo frowned at him. Chad didn't bother to elaborate, and after a moment, Ichigo just shrugged it off and went back to his lunch. At least, he tried to, but now that Chad had said his piece, Ichigo felt other eyes on him. Looking up from his lunch, he met the compassionate eyes of Orihime, and Rukia's curious, confused gaze.

That's right, Rukia didn't really understand what was going on. She didn't know about the contract between him and Renji; only the captains and a handful of vice captains knew about it. As far as Rukia was concerned, Renji was just babysitting him. Even in the group meeting at Urahara's shop, they had spoken of the increase in Hollows, rather than the ramifications of Ichigo's new demonic instincts. The discussion of that particular topic had been spoken of in private, and Ichigo trusted Urahara's discretion.

But even that wouldn't explain why Renji was still here. If it was just a matter of babysitting, then surely Rukia could do it as well? Abarai Renji was the sixth squad's vice captain, and no doubt had important duties waiting for his return.

Ichigo didn't feel like explaining right now, although he knew he'd have to sooner or later. For now, he was just grateful that he and his demon self had come to a sort of agreement. The urges were still there, just as the Hollow instincts were still there, but the demon didn't push to the front anymore. Ichigo still found himself wary of Renji and Rukia's relationship, but he could control it better now. He didn't feel like jumping the redhead every time he thought about him being around somebody who might have a stronger claim on him.

Rukia's eyes fell first, and Ichigo shrugged, going back to his lunch. He'd have to explain sooner or later, but not yet. If he was lucky, he wouldn't have to explain at all, because Urahara would figure out how to break the contract between them.

A sudden flare of reiatsu, and Ichigo's head snapped up, turning to stare out over the buildings surrounding the school. The reiatsu was familiar, but what, exactly, was she doing here? Ichigo sighed, standing and brushing himself off, ignoring the stares of his friends. It would seem that they couldn't feel the reiatsu, which meant that it was intended for him.

He saw Renji rising on his right, his gaze unfocused as he stared vaguely in the distance, towards the reiatsu. Ichigo hesitated only a moment, debating, before whirling and bolting for the door, Renji hot on his heels. Perfect.

Slipping into an empty classroom on the first floor, Ichigo stopped, hearing Renji come to a halt behind him. "Stay here, in this room, Renji," Ichigo spoke softly, but there was no mistaking it for the order it was. Opening the window, Ichigo hopped the short distance to the ground, ignoring the strangled sound of surprise and indignation behind him. Renji would no doubt be able to follow him shortly, since the contract only made him _want_ to obey, rather than forcing him to, but it might give Ichigo the time he needed.

Of course, if she didn't kick his ass, Renji would probably do it as soon as he caught up. Ichigo smiled grimly at the thought, but didn't slow. Renji hadn't asked for any of this; neither of them had. Unfortunately for the other shinigami, he had gotten the short end of the stick this time around.

Darting around the corner, Ichigo came to a sudden halt, realizing that he didn't feel the pressure of reiatsu anymore. If she _had _been here, then she was gone now. Frowning, Ichigo searched the vicinity, but the only reiatsu he felt was Renji's, which was spiking right now. The other shinigami was pissed, no doubt.

"What did you think you were doing, running out here by yourself?" the redhead snarled as he came to a halt in front of Ichigo, his face showing the strain of his struggle to ignore his desire to follow orders in order to help watch Ichigo's back. The teen sighed; he hadn't enjoyed doing it at all, but if the demon lord had indeed come here herself, then it would be best if Renji stayed out of her reach.

"At least tell me why you ordered me to stay," Renji sighed when Ichigo didn't respond, his voice more tired than angry now. Ichigo ducked his head, feeling guilty; he knew that Renji was a free spirit, like himself, and didn't appreciate being given orders to stay behind where it was safe.

Gathering his thoughts together, Ichigo tried to phrase them in a way that wouldn't set Renji off. "When we were in Sereitei, and I met with the demon lord, she was disappointed because I had already formed a contract with you, and so she couldn't forge one with me and take me back with her. She was really, really unhappy, and I don't know if she could break the contract or whatever if were both in the same place or not. I don't want to risk it. I don't want to be taken by her," Ichigo admitted, allowing the fear to show in his eyes.

Renji's glare softened, and he frowned at Ichigo. "But she could take you anyway, even with the contract, if you don't have somebody to watch your back. You don't know that she'd need both of us to break it. We don't even know what all the contract does. I mean, do you know what a demonic contract involves?" he demanded.

Ichigo scowled, but had to admit that Renji had a point. The last time he had come face to face with the demon lord, it had been in front of the majority of Shinigami Captains and Vice Captains. Depending on what the severance of a contract involved, the shinigami may have interfered if it had gotten out of hand, or if it had become obvious that Ichigo was in distress.

"Okay, fine. Point taken. But I don't want her anywhere near you!" he snapped back, not happy about having his concern torn to shreds like that. Renji blinked, his expression altering to one of surprise, before darkening with anger. Oops. Perhaps he shouldn't have said anything?

Renji reached out and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him close as he snarled at him. "If you _ever_ do something this foolish out of a misconceived notion that I need your protection, I will bury you myself!" Dropping him, Renji turned and darted away, leaving Ichigo in the middle of the road.

With a sigh, Ichigo followed, heading back to school. He didn't particularly want to go back and have to explain to his friends where he had run off to, but he wasn't about to skip school, either. He never knew when danger might come to call, and he couldn't afford to sacrifice his education. Most people considered him to be a delinquent, but not even the teachers could fault his grades. It was his attendance that was poor, and he just couldn't muster up enough enthusiasm to actually care.

Slipping back into the school fifteen minutes later, Ichigo decided to just head for his next class since the bell was about to ring anyhow. As he walked, he realized that Renji's reiatsu wasn't in the building, but instead somewhere around the nearby park. With a shrug, he decided to leave the redhead to his own devices for now. Either he'd be back later today, or he'd just show up at Ichigo's house after he had cooled down a bit.

A gentle push in his mind, coupled with an uneasy feeling at Renji's absence, and Ichigo frowned, ducking into an empty classroom and searching for the demon. He had some questions for him, anyhow; now was as good a time as any to ask, he supposed.

"Sorry," the demon apologized. "Your contracted is safe, and you'd feel a demon's presence before they could get close enough, but it's not…comfortable being separated from him," he explained, trying to put into words the feeling that had caught Ichigo's attention.

The shinigami shrugged. "Nah, don't worry about it," he reassured the demon. "I had some questions for you anyhow, and since I've still got a few minutes until my next class, I might as well ask them. First off, do you have something you'd prefer to be called?" He figured he'd start off easy, and then get to the harder questions.

The demon tilted his head, those dark eyes contemplating as he stared back at Ichigo. "I do not know if I've ever had a name. But you call the Hollow Hichigo, yes?" Ichigo nodded. "Did he choose that name?" Ichigo nodded again in confirmation. "What would you call me?" the demon version asked finally, and Ichigo frowned.

"Demon," he answered automatically. Stopping to think about that, he frowned. "Umm…perhaps Damon?" he asked. It was completely unoriginal, but Ichigo just didn't have the energy to come up with anything more creative. The demon shrugged indifferently. Damon it was, then.

"What does a contract involve?" Ichigo asked bluntly, cutting right to the chase. Damon just blinked at him, those dark eyes puzzled for a few moments before they cleared up.

Nibbling on his lower lip, the demon replied, "Each contract is different than every other one. Usually, a contract is pre-planned, and the requirements and obligations of each party are laid out very clearly. Occasionally, there is a contract, like yours, that is born of desperation. In that case, the contract tends to be designed towards providing whatever the two parties need. In your case, it provided you with a form of control, although not absolute, because while you feel the need to protect, you don't feel the need to cage or stifle your partner."

"Beyond that, I am not sure what your contract involves," the demon admitted. "I can feel and see some of the bonds between you two, but not all of them. His desire to obey comes from part of the contract on your end, but as you can see, it's a weak bond, because he can throw it off within moments. It still causes strain on him, but it's enough to truly stop him from following you. But you already know that," he said. Ichigo nodded; he was well aware that giving Renji an order was only enough to give him a small head start.

The demon frowned at him, debating with himself, and Ichigo glared. "Just spit it out, already!" he snapped, already running out of patience. If the demon couldn't help him figure out what the contract actually meant for them, then he was just wasting his time staying here.

Sighing, the demon shrugged. "Be it on your own head," he muttered darkly. When Ichigo just scowled at him in response, he glared back. "Your attraction to him has nothing to do with the contract. The opposite is true as well. From what I've been able to gather, your contract deals primarily with mutual protection from your enemies. Anything beyond that is nothing more than you and him."

Ichigo left the inner world abruptly, part of him still reeling. He had suspected something similar; that while the contract made him possessive of the other man, the deeper emotions were his own. But if the demon was telling the truth, then his possessiveness was his alone.

Pissed with himself, Ichigo wondered at their rotten luck. Wasn't it bad enough that Renji kept getting dragged into Ichigo's messes? Although, to be fair, Renji had been possessed first, and had come after Ichigo, rather than the other way around. Still, Ichigo thought to himself, he couldn't change what he felt. He cared very much for Abarai Renji, and found him attractive. And if it wasn't because of the contract, then perhaps he didn't have to feel guilty about it.

He was aware that his thoughts were jumbled and contradictory, but he didn't care. He was confused as hell already, so a little more confusion thrown in wasn't going to make much of a difference. He felt horrible that he had forced a contract onto Renji without realizing it, but he also felt an undeniable attraction and affection for the other shinigami, and Renji hadn't seemed to mind it. So maybe it was okay, then? The redhead most certainly hadn't protested the kiss the other day.

When Ichigo found himself wondering if Renji would protest anything more intense than a kiss, he shook his head, trying to dismiss the thoughts from his head. Three separate entities vied for attention in his mind; Hichigo found it entertaining and exciting, the demon wanted to strengthen the contract with a physical bond, and Zangetsu was as calm as always, but approval threaded through his thoughts as well. They all thought Renji would make an excellent partner for Ichigo; he was strong, fierce, loyal, and as protective of his friends as Ichigo was.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the current session, and Ichigo slipped out of the door, heading for his next class. A small flare of reiatsu, and Ichigo smiled; looked like Renji had returned to the school safely. With that nagging worry off his mind, Ichigo smiled. Perhaps later he'd see if Renji was as amenable to playing as he had been to their kisses so far. If nothing else, it would make for an excellent shock factor, and Ichigo would finally have an answer.

Ichigo chuckled darkly to himself, not paying any mind to the students who scrambled to get out of his way. Every day, he got closer to figuring out what he wanted, and what he would be allowed. He knew he'd have to make the first move, because Renji, as the elder partner, would not. Renji was too protective of him, though in different ways; he protected Ichigo from both of them, no doubt still worried that Ichigo might flip out on him if he initiated anything.

Which was possible, Ichigo had to admit. He hadn't much enjoyed not being the one in control during his first run-in with a demon. But perhaps, if he could have the control, they could make this work. Ichigo was tired of fighting the attraction; he was equally tired of dancing around Renji, both of them cautious as far as intimacy with each other went. But now that Ichigo knew that these feelings inside of him were completely his own, he found himself less hesitant to make an advance.

Tonight, Ichigo decided, slipping into his seat and leaning back, turning his head to stare out the window, he'd see just how far Renji was willing to go.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Okay, I'm so sorry that this took so long to get out! But real life has gotten increasingly busy, and I just didn't have time to sit and write this out until I went back to work! Go figure! But to make up for it, this chapter is nearly 9 pages long, so it's significantly longer than a lot of my other chapters. There is a lemon in this chapter, so please consider yourselves forewarned. Happy reading!**

Renji had forgiven Ichigo, mostly. And even if he hadn't forgiven the teen, Ichigo wouldn't have been able to bring himself to apologize for trying to protect Renji, so it would have been a wasted effort to continue being angry at him. The rest of the day passed by uninterrupted. He had to explain to the others that he had sensed something dangerous nearby, but he didn't bother to tell him that the demon lord had been in town. Ishida, at the very least, had his suspicions. After all, he hadn't felt the reiatsu, so he knew it hadn't been Hollows, and there just weren't that many other options.

Ichigo was only moderately worried about what she had been doing so close to his school. Perhaps she was just checking up on him? Or maybe she was here for a completely different reason, one that had nothing to do with him, and her presence in his hometown was just a coincidence.

After school, he and Renji had walked home together, a companionable silence between them. They were both on the lookout for danger, their focus elsewhere, but even so, Ichigo couldn't help but be aware of the man at his side, the heat radiating from his body a source of comfort.

Normally, once school had ended for the day, Ichigo would wander around town for a while, sometimes visiting the graves of those spirits who had not yet moved on, bringing them flowers and keeping them company for a while. It wasn't much, but the spirits seemed to derive some comfort from it, especially the children, so he continued his visits.

Now, though, he could send them on up to Soul Society, and he did so, once he reassured them that they would be safe up there. Knowing what he did about Rukongai, he sometimes wondered at that, but Renji had assured him that children were usually adopted into a family, or into a gang, and they survived just fine. Besides, he had pointed out, it was better to be around other spirits and shinigami, rather than remaining chained to the human world and risking being devoured by a Hollow or becoming one themselves.

Only just now realizing that he hadn't been out to visit the graves since Renji had first come to town, Ichigo decided to pay his respects. Stopping to pick a handful of flowers, ignoring Renji's puzzled, almost amused expression, Ichigo wandered across town, stopping at three different sites. He refilled the vases with water from nearby houses, and spent a few moments chatting with the spirits – two children and one adult.

He apologized to the children for not visiting, but they were just happy to see him. Next time, he told himself, he'd go ahead and send them up to Soul Society, where they'd be safe from Hollows, and would hopefully find a family of their own.

The adult he spoke to had died abruptly, but nobody knew the cause, not even him. He had been walking down the street on his way to work, and had just collapsed in the middle of the sidewalk. By the time the ambulance had arrived, he was pronounced dead. At the time, he had been perfectly healthy, tall, slender, and relatively young. He was only in his mid-thirties, and the autopsy hadn't turned up anything, either.

When he had arrived, the man was waiting for him, his posture tense and wary. It was then that Ichigo realized that this gravesite was near where the demon lord had been earlier. Upon seeing him, the spirit walked out to greet him, and Ichigo sent him on ahead to Soul Society. He was ready to go, and because he was an adult already, he understood what leaving the human world might entail, and was prepared for it.

Finished for the day, Ichigo headed for home, Renji still a silent presence beside him. Now, though, his expression was contemplative, as he periodically snuck glances at Ichigo. The teenager was aware of the looks he was receiving, but chose to ignore them. After all, it wouldn't do to lose the element of surprise for tonight, now would it?

Arriving home, Ichigo was greeted by his over-enthusiastic father, but he had been expecting it, and Isshin was flat on the ground in no time. Renji just excused himself and headed up the stairs, snickering. The man never did learn, did he?

After poking his head into the kitchen and letting Yuzu know that he had a guest and would need two portions for dinner, Ichigo followed the redhead up to his room. They'd probably do a little bit of their homework before dinner, and then either wander around outside, train in Urahara's underground shop, or just relax and chill out.

Renji seemed amenable to just lazing about in the evenings, doing nothing in particular. Apparently, it wasn't something that he got to do very often in Sereitei, as he was always dragged out drinking with some of the others when there wasn't an imminent threat for them to deal with instead. So just hanging out was an opportunity that Renji welcomed.

Sure enough, both men went upstairs and settled themselves on the floor, pulling blankets and pillows off of Ichigo's bed to make little nests for them to lay in while they poured over their homework. Today's workload was pretty light, and they were done quickly, though not without some grumbling from a certain redhead.

"Why do I have to do the homework, too? For that matter, why do I have to go to school? Can't I just hang out in the classroom as a shinigami? There's no need for me to wear a gigai, and it's a pain to get rid of when Hollow show up." The grumbling continued, but Ichigo tuned him out, studying the book before him.

He was surprisingly good at schoolwork, primarily because he tackled it the same way he did a fight. It was just a matter of studying your opponent and figuring out their strengths, and then finding a way to overcome them. When dealing with homework, he just had to figure out the one key that would let him solve the puzzle. The rest just sort of fell into place after that.

Yuzu brought dinner up a little later, and the two boys paused during their homework to eat, not bothering to talk in favor of wolfing down their respective meals. Twenty minutes later, they were back to homework, their empty dishes lying outside of the bedroom door. Yuzu would pick them up later, or Ichigo would run them downstairs.

With a final tired sigh, Ichigo closed his book, sitting up properly and stretching. He hated homework with a passion, but he fully intended to get into college one day. His mother wasn't around anymore, but she had planned for them all to get a college education, and it was the one promise that Ichigo was determined to keep. And so, he did his homework faithfully.

Beside him, Renji stretched as well, yawning. He only did the work because it was boring just sitting in the room and waiting for Ichigo to finish. He hardly cared if he failed the class or not, since he probably wouldn't finish out the school year before having to adjust his teachers' and classmates' memories to forget that he ever existed.

"No word from Rukia?" Ichigo asked, and relaxed when Renji shook his head. No word from Rukia meant no missions. And they were both able to sense and locate any stray Hollows that showed up, so Rukia wouldn't call them for something like that, assuming that they'd show up if they were needed.

Ichigo grabbed some sleep pants and headed for the door. "I'm gonna go take a shower," he said. Renji mumbled an okay behind him, and Ichigo padded down the hallway. A hot shower would feel good, and by the time he was done, Yuzu and Karin should be in bed. Isshin would probably still be at the hospital for a few hours yet.

Ichigo didn't waste time debating with himself over what he wanted to do, or what he should do. If Renji wasn't interested, he'd let him know, probably violently. After all, it's not like the contract was designed to make him submissive to Ichigo. But the teen had started to notice that Renji's loyalty and affection had seemed…different, somehow, than what he gave so freely to Rukia. So there might actually be a chance that this could work.

Twenty minutes later, he climbed out of the shower and put on his sleep pants, not bothering with a t-shirt. Renji was hardly going to care. His hair still dripping wet, he made his way back into his room, noting that both Yuzu's and Karin's lights were off. That would make this at least a little bit easier.

"Your turn," he said, walking into his room. Renji had been lounging on the chair next to the bed, staring out the window contemplatively, but he turned his head at Ichigo's entrance, and froze. "Renji? You okay, man?" Ichigo asked tentatively, watching the redhead in concern.

The shinigami shook his head abruptly and stood. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied shortly. "You just surprised me is all." Now it was Ichigo's turn to be surprised; he hadn't realized that Renji was so lost in thought that he had, essentially, snuck up behind him and startled him.

Renji fled the room, and Ichigo stared after him, trying not to grin. He hadn't missed the fact that Renji's eyes had seemed glued to his chest, where the water from his hair was making a trail. Shaking his head like a dog shedding water, Ichigo chuckled to himself. He hadn't seen Renji embarrassed in a long time.

Lounging on his bed, Ichigo shut his eyes, dozing while Renji was in the shower. The redhead always took at least half an hour, on account of his long hair. He had tried to explain to Ichigo once that long hair required much more maintenance than the short spikes that the teen preferred, but Ichigo had just shot back that perhaps he simply needed to cut it off and save himself the hassle. Renji had just shot him an irritated look and proceeded to ignore him for the next several days.

Now, though, Ichigo mused, he wouldn't want Renji to cut his hair. He liked it long, and it suited the red-haired shinigami, in the same way that the tattoos did. He found himself wondering, again, what the tattoos meant. Maybe he'd ask Renji later.

Sensing Renji's approaching reiatsu, Ichigo kept his eyes closed, his arms curled under his head as he relaxed, breathing evenly. Renji paused briefly outside the door, hesitating, and Ichigo sensed a small flicker of energy as he debated with himself. The hesitation didn't last for long, though, and Renji pushed open the bedroom door, moving silently further into the room, watching Ichigo.

Cracking his eyes open, Ichigo noticed that Renji hadn't bothered to put on a shirt, either. His hair, on the other hand, was dry and left down, hanging straight and soft down past his shoulders. The tattoos made various patterns across his skin, and Ichigo found himself as entranced by them as ever. The boxy ones that ran across his chest and back somehow offset the smoother, sharp waves that curved down and around his arms. The bold lines that traveled down his body outlined sturdy ribs, covered by lean muscle.

Bringing his eyes up to meet Renji's laughing ones, Ichigo shrugged, sitting up. No doubt Renji already knew, or at least suspected, what he was after, but wasn't going to say anything. He was leaving all the work to Ichigo. Moving silently across the room, Ichigo let the redhead see the approval in his eyes when Renji didn't shift or back up. The shinigami just stared back at him calmly.

Reaching upwards slowly, Ichigo traced the sharp, pointed tattoos that travelled along Renji's face and up his forehead, taking his time to examine them. Renji sighed under the touch, pushing slightly into Ichigo's hands. "What do these mean?" Ichigo asked, his curiosity winning out over his desire…for the moment.

Renji looked down at him, his hands coming up to catch Ichigo's and still them where they traced the tattoos on his forehead. "They're…plateaus, I suppose," he replied, his voice serious. "When I make a worthy accomplishment, the symbols are added to. For surviving Rukongai, I had the ones on my face. For becoming a shinigami; and for moving up to the rank of Vice Captain; for mastering Bankai. All of these added to the symbols."

"Hmm…so it's like a reward?" Ichigo asked, and Renji shook his head, breathing out a frustrated huff. Ichigo stared up at him, curious, hoping that Renji would clarify. The tattoos themselves were fascinating, but if they weren't a reward, then what were they?

"They're more like a…manifestation of power," Renji spoke again, hesitating over the words as he tried to describe the mysterious lines that patterned his entire body. "Whenever I grow in power or strength, more of the lines appear. It's not something that I consciously do to myself. Some believe that they are a manifestation of Zabimaru on my body, but nobody is entirely certain," he admitted, his voice low.

Ichigo stared at the tattoos decorating Renji's chest in rapt fascination. If it wasn't something that Renji was doing consciously, and nobody knew what they truly meant, then why was it only him? Why didn't other shinigami have tattoos that symbolized their power or their zanpakuto?

"That's really, really cool," he breathed finally, and the chest under his now explorative fingers rumbled with suppressed laughter. Frowning up at Renji, he asked, "What? It is!" he insisted. Renji just shook his head at him, still grinning, his brown eyes dancing in amusement.

Ichigo growled and reached up with his left hand, grabbing Renji's hair and pulling the other man down for a kiss. _That_ managed to shut him up, he thought in satisfaction. After a split second, Renji kissed back, and Ichigo smiled into the kiss, sensing no hesitation in the other man.

Walking backwards, Ichigo felt his way carefully across his small room until his knees hit the edge of his bed. With a twist and small push, Ichigo toppled them both onto the bed, making sure that he was on top when they landed. Other than a surprised huff, he got no further reaction. Instead, arms came up and wrapped around his neck, looping there loosely as they kissed, the contact more leisurely now that Ichigo was sure that Renji wouldn't protest this much, at least.

A little bolder now, Ichigo allowed his hand to wander, stroking across a firm chest. The sensation was familiar to him, and Renji mumbled appreciatively into the kiss, arching up slightly into Ichigo's hand. Breaking away from the kiss, Ichigo trailed small nips down Renji's chin and throat, stopping to nibble on his collarbone. This earned him a sigh, and slender fingers slipped behind his head, guiding but not holding him in place.

As a reward, Ichigo nipped his collarbone sharply, and then laved over the area with his tongue. Renji jerked in response, his grip tightening for a brief moment before they loosened, sliding easily through Ichigo's short spikes.

Pulling back for a moment, Ichigo's attention was caught once more by the fascinating tattoos that traced a pattern across Renji's flesh. With a grin, he bent back down and started tracing the markings with his tongue and lips, taking care to note the varying tastes as he went. Soap, and water, and a little bit of sweat, and a masculine taste that was pure Renji. Ichigo wondered idly if he tasted similar, but shrugged it off after a moment. It really wasn't important, not when he had Renji's lean body under his.

Shifting his weight a little more, so that he was situated further on top of the other shinigami, Ichigo gasped when he brushed against Renji's erection. The redhead arched up into him, and Ichigo groaned, muffling the sound against Renji's chest, which caused the other man to chuckle as the ticklish vibrations traveled across his body.

With a small frown at the laughing shinigami, Ichigo slipped a hand back up to Renji's face, holding two fingers in front of his mouth. Renji paused a moment, regarding him seriously, and then opened his mouth, allowing Ichigo to slip his fingers inside. Ichigo sighed at the new sensation, and continued his exploration, nibbling down Renji's stomach, pausing to dip his tongue inside the redhead's navel, where the scent and taste of Renji were stronger.

Renji moaned and scraped his teeth lightly against Ichigo's fingers, and then moved his tongue, the rasping motion wrapping around the intruding digits. Unable to move down any further without taking his hand back, Ichigo slid back up Renji's body, making sure to rub against him the whole way up. Renji's eyes widened as they met Ichigo's, the pupils darkened with lust, and he arched his back with a small cry. Ichigo found himself mimicking the shinigami as a wandering hand found its way to his crotch, rubbing firmly through the cloth.

That was it. The clothes were coming off, before Ichigo totally lost it. Sitting up, straddling Renji's waist, Ichigo removed his fingers, kissing the redhead instead. Breaking from the kiss, Ichigo shifted off of Renji and quickly stripped out of his sleep pants.

Renji remained lying on the bed, his breathing heavy and his hands clenched into fists. Noticing, Ichigo turned to look back at Renji in concern. "Renji? You okay?" he asked, ready to back off the moment the other man said 'no'.

Sighing, Renji unclenched his fists and turned to gaze up at Ichigo, nodding. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just…" he floundered, searching for the right words. "I want to touch you, too, but I don't know what you're looking for," he finally managed to choke out. Ichigo stared at him blankly for a few moments, before he managed to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Obviously, Renji had realized that Ichigo had taken control because he was afraid to not have it. No doubt, Renji remembered the possession and subsequent abuse the demon had put Ichigo through while hiding behind his friend's face, and was afraid of throwing him into a flashback or something.

Ichigo smiled, his hand reaching out to cup Renji's cheek as he bent down to give the other man a gentle kiss. "You don't have to worry about that," he replied softly, keeping his voice low. "Just don't try to pin me down or take control, and I'll be fine." He was sure of it.

Hesitantly, Renji reached up and stroked along the side of Ichigo's face. The teen smiled at him encouragingly, and Renji's strokes grew bolder, tracing down his throat and rubbing gently across his collar bone. Satisfied that there would be no further reluctance on the redhead's part, Ichigo turned his attention towards stripping Renji of his pants.

Renji accommodated his efforts by lifting his hips, and Ichigo slid the pants off, tossing them haphazardly onto the floor. Both of them bare now, Ichigo turned back around, straddling Renji once more. He was now in highly unfamiliar territory, but he was hardly going to let that stop him. Leaning down to kiss Renji, Ichigo thought that he just might be addicted to the other man.

For once, the other three personalities that resided inside of him were dormant. Not even Hichigo was interfering, his near-constant amusement and battle lust not tainting Ichigo's own emotions. Instead, the lust he was feeling was nothing but the slide of lips, and the slick writhing of warm bodies twisting against each other. Soft sighs and moans filled the air, and wandering hands took advantage of sensitive nerves.

Before Ichigo knew it, he had fallen over the edge, his back arching as he ground into the supple body below him. An answering groan, and liquid warmth flowed between them.

With a tired sigh, Ichigo rolled slightly to the side, slipping off of Renji's body. The redhead just lay there, staring blankly up at the ceiling, his breathing heavy and his body limp. Sated, the two boys gave themselves time to recuperate. Eventually, though, Ichigo forced his sated body to sit up. He needed to at least clean himself up a bit, although a shower would be better.

Standing on shaky legs, Ichigo was surprised to note that he seemed more tired now than he did after fighting a group of Hollows. Maybe that's because battle made him stronger, as he fed off of his enemies. The demon lord hadn't been the only one to notice his knack for growing stronger with every enemy he faced, Ichigo thought wryly. He had asked Zangetsu and Hichigo about it once, but his only response had been that he was unique by himself, so this extraordinary ability was just par for the course for him.

"Where're you goin'?" Renji mumbled muzzily from behind him. Ichigo paused, turning to face the other man, appreciating anew the body spread out on it. Renji's eyes were slit as he gazed up at Ichigo, tired and sated. Ichigo smiled; it made him feel rather proud to have exhausted Renji that much.

Shrugging, he replied, "I'm going to go take a shower. I'm sticky." He wrinkled his nose, and Renji chuckled at him, shifting his body until he, too, was sitting up. Standing, he teased Ichigo, whose eyes had roamed downwards, curious.

"Like what you see?" As if to emphasize the body that had caught Ichigo's attention, he stretched, muscles sliding under taut skin. Ichigo swallowed, his eyes meeting Renji's as he felt himself stirring again. Renji smirked outright this time. "Your eyes are starting to flicker again," he announced. "They were so beautiful before."

Ichigo blinked, caught off guard by the compliment. He had almost forgotten about his strange new eyes. Renji frowned at him, and Ichigo realized that his eyes must have damped, as they did whenever he was feeling upset or surprised. Shaking his head, he smiled at Renji and shrugged. "Yeah, well, what can I say? They're my best feature."

Renji snorted at his lame quip, but followed Ichigo as he turned to head for the shower. However, it looked like playtime was over. As Ichigo stepped out the door, he heard the front door creak open. Isshin was home, finally. Renji ducked back inside with a grin, and Ichigo rolled his eyes, heading straight for the shower. No doubt his father wouldn't bother to check his room if he heard the shower running. Hopefully, though, Renji would change the bedding, just in case.

Taking a deep breath and releasing it in a rough sigh, Ichigo combed his fingers through his mussed hair, the feel of slender fingers and gentle lips still making his skin tingle. Not even a hot shower would be enough to remove the phantom sensations, he thought with a smile, because now, he was Renji's, and Renji was his.

_Take that, demons,_ he thought smugly, stepping into the shower again. What had started out as kidnapping and torture had instead turned into something wonderful. The absorption of a demon's energy and the manifestation of that energy had given him a bond all his own. And he swore to himself then and there, that nobody would ever take the fiery redhead away from him. Nobody.


End file.
